Our Mission
Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative of New Orleans is a neighborhood-based nonprofit homebuilder that provides families with healthy and energy-efficient affordable housing opportunities. We partner with neighborhood residents, organizations and businesses to create and maintain stable and thriving communities.
History
“One day we must come to see that the whole Jericho Road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed as they make their journey on life’s highway. True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring”
-The Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., “Beyond Vietnam” speech April 4th, 1967
In “Beyond Vietnam” speech, delivered over 50 years ago at Riverside Church in Harlem, Martin Luther King Jr. sought to underscore the profound social and economic disparities prevailing in our world. Dr. King’s central tenet was that authentic justice can only be realized through a collective reimagining of individual roles with the objective of uplifting others. This philosophy gave rise to the Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative, which has since upheld a message of justice as its organizational bedrock.
Founded in 2006 by the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, Jericho Road aimed to assist the residents of the Central City community in New Orleans, particularly in the aftermath of the widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. The organization envisioned contributing to the development of thriving neighborhoods by providing habitable spaces for residents and fostering residential stability and cohesion.
Jericho Road has consistently dedicated itself to advancing community institutions, stabilizing and investing in community infrastructure, and offering healthy and accessible affordable housing. The organization has extended its commitment by embarking on a mission to address the housing affordability crisis in the New Orleans Metropolitan area. In 2017, Jericho Road acquired Project Homecoming, Inc., a local community development corporation focused on serving low-income and working families in the Gentilly neighborhoods. Since then, Jericho Road has broadened its impact by developing affordable housing across Southeast Louisiana.
Collaborating with resident leaders citywide, Jericho Road actively works towards enhancing neighborhood conditions through the implementation of programs and practices designed to foster community pride. The organization’s collaborative efforts have yielded substantial success throughout its existence. Jericho Road remains steadfast in its dedication to Dr. King’s vision of societal restructuring, striving to ensure that no one in the community is compelled to endure poverty.
As Jericho Road looks towards the future, there is a resounding call for the continuation of Dr. King’s legacy. The organization emphasizes the imperative of upholding his message of altruism, equity, and humanity. Jericho Road is resolutely committed to fostering investments throughout Southeast that result in thriving communities for ALL.