why we’re here

serving the Lower Ninth Ward since 2007

our mission

lowernine.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to the long-term recovery of New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the 2005 levee breaches.
For nearly two decades, we’ve worked side by side with residents to rebuild homes, restore lives, and reclaim a vibrant community that was nearly erased by disaster – and neglected by systems meant to protect it.

our community

The Lower 9th Ward was ground zero for the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. When the Industrial Canal levee failed, this historic neighborhood – rich in culture, family roots, and resilience – was one of the hardest hit. The road to recovery here has been longer and more complex than in any other part of the city.

Barriers to rebuilding have included:

  • a federally administered recovery program (The Louisiana Road Home) later ruled discriminatory in federal court
  • widespread poverty and generational disinvestment
  • toxic FEMA trailers, contaminated drywall, and mold exposure
  • predatory contractors, mortgage lenders, and insurance disputes

Today, recovery remains uneven. Many homes sit empty. Infrastructure projects are delayed. Property values in some sections of the neighborhood are pricing out the very residents trying to return.

our story

lowernine.org grew from a grassroots response into a long-term rebuilding force. Founded by Maine boat builder Rick Prose, lowernine.org was the follow up organization to nonprofit Emergency Communities, which sprung up after Katrina in Waveland, MS, and in St. Bernard, Plaquemines, and Orleans Parishes providing early forms of disaster relief and recovery. As years passed and the initial feeding, mold remediation, and gutting work was completed, it was apparent that skilled rebuilding would be the next step in the process. Realizing that unskilled volunteers could fully rebuild homes under skilled supervision, Rick returned to the Lower Ninth Ward with a small crew from Boothbay Harbor and laid the foundation for what lowernine.org would become.

our work

To date, we’ve fully rebuilt 98 homes and completed repair work on over 400 more – bringing back more Lower 9th Ward families than any other single organization.

Our mission goes beyond construction. It’s about restoring community, dignity, and the right to return. We work directly with residents, free of charge, providing skilled labor, volunteer coordination, and wraparound support for families who’ve been waiting years (or decades) to come home.

Despite our progress, the fight is far from over:

  • as of 2016, only 36.7% of the pre-Katrina population had returned
  • gentrification threatens to displace longtime residents from the Holy Cross area
  • the FEMA “closeout” for Hurricane Katrina is set for 2025 – 20 years after the storm
  • full neighborhood recovery is still estimated to take another decade
  • A group of people work together, forming a line to pass boxes labeled USDA up the stairs of a light-colored house.
  • A group of ten smiling people stand on the wooden steps of a small raised house with a porch.
  • A group of eight people smiling and posing for a photo outside in a residential area. One person raises their arms in excitement.
  • Wooden house frame under construction on cinder block foundation, with workers visible inside.
  • A group of workers stands smiling in front of a brick house under renovation. Piles of bricks are scattered in the yard.