Scope Two

Same thing with this one. Not a scope at all. Just something someone saw in the Newspaper.

Catholic Charities plans to develop 4,000 homes

Many housing units were ruined in storm

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

By Greg Thomas

Real estate writer

Catholic Charities plans to build 4,000 rental homes and apartments in an attempt to address the area's shortage of affordable housing, according to Jim Kelly, executive director.

The new units, when combined with the housing Catholic Charities already operates in the city, would make the social outreach arm of the Archdiocese of New Orleans one of the larger landlords in the city limits. Catholic Charities has 2,700 rental units already in place in the metro area, although 2,000 of those require Katrina-related repairs. It plans to do business -- nonprofit business -- as Providence Community Housing.

The new units will take shape in several different projects:

-- The creation of 2,000 units in mixed-income communities, setting aside about 500 units for the disabled or elderly.

-- The construction of 1,000 modular homes.

-- The construction of 1,000 apartment units.

Kelly would not reveal the locations of the projects. He did say that church property, in many instances, would be used to accommodate the new housing.

To develop the 2,000-unit mixed-income projects, Catholic Charities may seek Department of Housing and Urban Development HOPE VI funds.

To help pay for the rest of the projects, Kelly said, his agency hopes to snag a portion of the $65 million in low-income housing tax credits that will be made available in Louisiana this year. This year's Gulf Opportunity Zone Act increased the volume of tax credits available in the state from $8.5 million a year ago. The program also sets aside $65 million in tax credits for the state in 2007 and 2008.

Applications for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program must be turned in by April 17 to the Louisiana Housing Finance Authority. Each project will be graded by board members on a point scale, with the projects with the highest points winning the credits.

Local real estate broker Larry Schedler said the archdiocese, because of its non-profit status and good reputation, will be a strong applicant.

Kelly said he is desperate to make sure low-income residents are given a chance to return to New Orleans.

He said the rebuilding of New Orleans "has got to give all of the people the opportunity to come home."

Catholic Charities and the Archdiocese of New Orleans have long had a commitment to meeting community housing needs.

Before Katrina hit, Christopher Homes, the arm of the archdiocese that concentrates on providing low-income housing, ran about 2,700 units, most in complexes and some in scattered sites, according to executive director Dennis Adams.

About 1,200 of those units were damaged in the storm and are not in use, Adams said.

Last week, Catholic Charities, JPMorgan Chase and Fannie Mae teamed up to build five new homes in the Treme area.

Chase financed the five homes at zero down payment and zero interest for households that qualified for assistance, said Chase spokesman Chris Spencer. Spencer said that Chase worldwide has loaned $3 billion for economic development in low- and moderate-income areas.

John Kallenborn, president of New Orleans JPMorgan Chase Bank, said he's just ended a term on the board of Catholic Charities and has the utmost respect for the group's development efforts.

"It's fun for us to be involved in these first five homes and we're excited to ride with the archdiocese the whole way," Kallenborn said.