NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity (NOAHH) has received a $250,000.00 disaster resilience grant from Verizon. NOAHH is one of 11 local Habitat for Humanity affiliates awarded grant funding through Verizon’s Disaster Resilience initiative.
Repeated disasters have led to escalating insurance costs that are crippling the housing and financial stability of local homeowners. The most recent major disaster in New Orleans, Hurricane Ida, struck Southeast Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane in September 2021 and caused at least $18 billion in insured losses in Louisiana alone.
The Verizon grant will support ongoing disaster resiliency, recovery and preparedness efforts by allowing NOAHH to replace at least 16 Habitat homeowners’ damaged roofs. The new roofs are climate-resilient FORTIFIED, which helps these homeowners to significantly reduce the costs of their insurance premiums.
Additionally, NOAHH will connect these homeowners with financial literacy providers and disaster response organizations so they may receive education on credit scores, insurance affordability, and navigating claims processes. Given the rising cost of insurance and the economic impact of disasters, ensuring that these homeowners have access to FORTIFIED roofing, insurance literacy and financial education is critical to long-term housing stability in the region.
“Thanks to the generosity of Verizon, we will be able to replace at least 16 local homeowners’ damaged roofs with new, climate-resilient FORTIFIED roofing,” said Marguerite Oestreicher, Executive Director at NOAHH.
“These improvements will strengthen homes against future storms and help families obtain reduced insurance rates, making homeownership more affordable and secure. We are deeply grateful for Verizon’s commitment to building safer, stronger communities in New Orleans,” said Oestreicher.
Through its Community Disaster Resiliency initiative, Verizon empowers communities to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters with greater confidence. The program, working with trusted partners, offers practical tools like planning workshops and hands-on resilience training to help communities stay ready and bounce back stronger.
“At Verizon, we’re committed to building resilient communities by preparing for the future, not just recovering from the past. This grant to New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity underscores our future-focused approach to investing in community strength,” said Michelle R. Miller, Senior Vice President at Verizon.
“It is an honor to empower families in Greater New Orleans to secure both their homes and their financial futures and to support a community that never stops building back stronger,” said Miller.
This funding is part of a more than $3 million donation from Verizon to support Habitat for Humanity to deliver local disaster resilience projects. This year, Verizon will support programs rolling out across 15 cities in the United States.
About New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity
New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity (NOAHH) is a non-profit organization that builds and repairs homes in partnership with people needing decent, affordable housing. Since 1983, NOAHH has built over 600 homes in the New Orleans area, allowing families to achieve the dream of homeownership. For more information, visit www.habitat-nola.org.