New Orleans Selected as Finalist for National Disaster Resilience Competition
NEW ORLEANS – June 24, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro announced on Monday that the City of New Orleans has been selected as a finalist to compete in the second and final phase of HUD’s National Disaster Resilience Competition (NDRC). Aligned closely with a companion education and technical assistance effort by the Rockefeller Foundation, HUD’s competition is designed to help states and local communities recover from past disasters while improving their ability to withstand future extreme events through strategic community investments. New Orleans will be competing with 39 states and local communities.
“New Orleans knows the dangerous impacts of a natural disaster all too well and the importance of preparation,” said New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu. “As New Orleans approaches the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina later this year and our 300th anniversary in 2018, our focus is on building a better, stronger and more resilient community that is fully prepared for whatever challenges we may face in the future. I am very proud that New Orleans has been selected as a finalist for the National Disaster Resilience Competition and am confident our innovative, comprehensive proposals will do well in the next and final stage. Through our partnership and collaboration with The Rockefeller Foundation as a part of 100 Resilient Cities initiative, New Orleans is already showcasing our ability to successfully rebound from disasters and man-made chronic stresses and to learn from others. New Orleans is the nation’s greatest laboratory for innovation and change, and I look forward to working with HUD and the Rockefeller Foundation as we implement new ideas and strategies here in New Orleans in order to share the lessons we learn with communities all over America.”
The City of New Orleans is applying for a portion of the funding being made available through the NDRC grant to undertake projects and programs that will enhance New Orleans’ resilience into the future. In Phase 2 of the NDRC, the City of New Orleans will propose specific projects that advance the City’s comprehensive resilience strategy due to be completed later this summer. Selected projects will be funded from a total pool of nearly $1 billion. The maximum grant award available at the end of Phase 2 will be $500 million and the minimum will be $1 million. Phase II submissions are due to HUD on October 27, 2015.
Click here for more information on the National Disaster Resilience Competition 
