Nonprofits Collaborate to Provide Stormwater Assistance to Homeowners
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Andreas Hoffmann, Executive Director
Green Light New Orleans
Tel. 504-342-4966
Dana Eness, Executive Director
Urban Conservancy
Tel. 504-717-6187
NEW ORLEANS, LA -- Local nonprofits Green Light New Orleans and the Urban Conservancy have completed their first joint project, providing a Gentilly residence with financial and technical assistance to reduce stormwater runoff. The organizations allocated funding from the Allianz Katrina Fund, the Wisner Foundation (Urban Conservancy only), and the Greater New Orleans Foundation to remove 142.5 square feet of paving, and to install an 8’ x 5’ raingarden and a rain barrel on the property. EcoUrban Landscaping provided the landscape design and installation.
"The project enabled us to remove cement that was both contributing to street flooding in our neighborhood and was an eyesore in the corner of the yard," says homeowner Alison McCrary. "We were able to create a beautiful space for a rain garden to be used in conjunction with the rain barrel system. It's a great way to care for both creation and the community we live in."
The two nonprofits look forward to continuing to provide homeowners with a suite of options to manage stormwater on their properties and in their neighborhoods in 2017 with a combined total of $59,000 in grant funding from the Greater New Orleans Foundation.
Funding will support Green Light’s initiatives to promote environmental awareness and sustainability in New Orleans by installing rain barrels and instructing homeowners on proper use and maintenance of them. Executive Director Andreas Hoffmann says, “Our energy efficient light bulb program has served 27,000 homes in New Orleans. We plan to replicate that success by installing rain barrels on a large scale to create a cumulative impact.”
The Urban Conservancy will use funding to support its Front Yard Initiative, an incentive program that encourages homeowners to replace paving on their lots with rain gardens and permeable surfaces to reduce stormwater run-off. “There are always constraints on how much a single organization can do,” says UC director Dana Eness, “but by working closely with other nonprofits, we can direct homeowners to every water management resource available to them and together, create maximum impact.”
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Green Light New Orleans is an environmental nonprofit serving the local community through installation of free energy-efficient light bulbs, backyard vegetable gardens, and rain barrels. Over 10 years, Green Light developed a system to achieve both a large environmental impact as well as a social impact by multiplying individual actions so that all can benefit from a healthy, resilient, and sustainable community. Green Light has installed over 600,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) in 27,000 households, built 550 vegetable gardens and installed 100 rain barrels. These actions have reduced New Orleans’ CO₂ footprint by 270 million pounds and reduced household food and utility costs by $27 million.
The Urban Conservancy catalyzes equitable practices and policies related to land use and the local economy in New Orleans. It has been involved in numerous initiatives designed to support citywide water management goals including the Lafitte Greenway; the Greater New Orleans Water Collaborative; BASIN, a water literacy and environmental stewardship program for children; and the Front Yard Initiative, which helps homeowners reduce unwanted paving and install water-smart landscaping.
