The home-building effort is getting off to a modest start. The diocese has acquired five Central City lots -- one of which has a shotgun home on it -- and plans to start by building homes on those properties. Once those first homes have been sold, the diocese will use the money it makes to buy another round of properties to build on.

The five properties acquired by the diocese are in the 2400, 2500 and 2600 blocks of St. Philip St. The homes on those sites will be built using various building techniques, including steel framing, cement and modular construction. Those first homes will help to determine which technique works the best when building on empty lots.

The purpose of the first five homes is to work out the kinks, including site selection, client identification and home-buying training, the availability of home owners insurance and the cost of mortgage products.

The building program is being undertaken by Jericho Road LLC, a new group created in March by the local Episcopal Diocese and the national Episcopal Relief Development. Brad Powers, a public interest attorney who lost his practice after Hurricane Katrina, is Jericho's executive director and its only paid employee.

Whitney National Bank is making construction loans for the project and will make permanent loans to qualified home buyers. Whitney has committed $20 million to building the 150 homes. The $20 million will be used as a revolving fund; as homes are completed and sold, the sale money will be put back into the fund and used to finance more construction.

The Rev. Canon Mark Stevenson said that there is no clear timetable for completing the 150 homes. But Bishop Jenkins said he hopes the city will donate abandoned, blighted homes to the building program, a move that would speed up the process considerably. Living Witness Church of God in Christ on Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard, led by the Rev. John Pierre, will conduct social programs for buyers. Pierre is also executive director of Living Witness Community Social Services, which conducts several successful drug, education and literacy programs.

"Jericho Road . . . will again set the standard for people of diverse ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds to live together in mixed and vibrant communities," said the Rev. David duPlantier, dean and rector of Christ Church Cathedral. "One of our city's most unique characteristics is that for hundreds of years people of vastly different backgrounds have lived in close proximity to one another inspiring and influencing culture, religion and family life."

REPORT FROM THE FRONT LINE

By Fr. Jerry Kramer in New Orleans

15 March 2006 AD

Dear All,

Last Monday on the drive into the church I asked God for something big. I wanted it to be crystal clear and unmistakable so that people would see His mighty hand in the midst of this ongoing mess. And, after a rough week, I needed a sign that we were on the right track here.

Well, some folks from a huge international relief organization showed up on Wednesday, offering to place a full-scale medical clinic on the church property. Today we opened what I believe to be about the area's only indigent, non-emergency (although they take emergencies) health care operation.

Docs, PA's, nurses, the whole nine yards. Amen. The double-wide (church) has now become a waiting room. We are completely beyond room in the parking lot. In addition to the 200 or so we see daily for relief supplies, we've been told to expect at least a similar number for medical care.

The need for health services is piling up. There was a story recently in the New York Times about Katrina children with chronic ailments going unaddressed. The pressing need here upon us is water. The temperatures will grow increasingly hot and stay miserable until October. I am presently trying to figure out how to secure a steady truckload supply of water. We're working, too, on putting up misting machines to try and keep people cool and not heat stroke out as they line up for supplies, etc.

This week we've launched a new ministry to help people navigate the FEMA hoops for rental and housing assistance, and to help them locate apartments. This began with a woman, who works at the Walgreen's across the street, coming by in tears to see the pastor. She told me she was working to support her family and tired of being homeless. She had applied for an SBA loan and was only offered 1/3 the amount it would take to fix her house. She (along with the Kramers) had also been denied rental assistance. Stacy and I ended up taking the woman down to the FEMA center on St. Charles, which closed permanently last Saturday, to help her apply for assistance.

As a moderately intelligent and somewhat educated person, I found that I could barely wade through the paperwork, web addresses, options, etc. Several weeks ago God sent us a retired Physicians Assistant from Texas who's now living in one of our trailers. Starting this week he's providing full time case management, helping people to identify and tap into available resources.

Another parishioner here is volunteering to help people find apartments, no easy job. One of the great challenges, too, is that many folks in need of housing work during the day and do not own cars. So it's near impossible for them to get around for apartment hunting.

Two weeks away from the beginning of another Hurricane Season and the news is not good.

First we were told the levees wouldn't be fixed in time, but that storm surge gates would be installed by start of the season. Today it was announced that these, too, are running behind schedule.

About three weeks ago, we had 1.5" of rain and three pumping station pumps blew. Apparently they simply took the old pumps that sat under the salt and fuel water for weeks, dried them off, and reinstalled them. Even a tropical depression with lots of rain could mean a death blow for us. Plus now the City is making plans to (finally) move people into trailers here -- meaning the most vulnerable will have to be evacuated all over again if a storm rolls into our part of the Gulf.

The bottom line is that we are entirely vulnerable. Annunciation is in the mix to serve as a bus pick-up center in the event of an evacuation. Our initial concern with the overall plan, however, is that there seems to be no provision for getting the handicapped and elderly to the train station and other folks -- without transpiration -- to the various pick up points.

Secondly, last year's plan failed because the City could not find enough bus drivers and on this July 1st fifty-percent of our drivers will be laid off from work. I'm worried that we are going to have several hundred people on our campus with a storm approaching and no transportation materializes. We're quietly making shelter provisions, stocking up on water and MREs, toiletries, flashlights, etc. I have my kayak and flak jacket ready. This past week God further blessed us with a permanent deacon -- our first ever! -- at Annunciation.

I am really grateful to the Diocese for this support. For those of you following along since the early days, this was the Deacon who served in Slidell, practically holding down the fort by himself until help arrived. Both he and his wife lost their jobs as a result of Katrina and we need to give him some kind of a stipend. If anyone can help with this, please let me know.

We very much need volunteer teams to come in and help muck houses, clean up yards, etc. We could also use medical professionals at our new clinic. We can always use helpers at the Relief Center. You can keep up with what's happening here at our website: www.annunciationinexile.homestead.com. Too much is happening here every 24 hours.

Finally, our parish planning committee held an all day retreat on Saturday to begin putting onto paper our new vision for the future. One of the exercise questions was, "What do you want people to say about Annunciation in the future?" Here are their responses: "They do what God tells them to do." "They're an example of the Great Commandment and Great Commission." "They have a positive impact on the larger community." "They're focused on mission." "Their faith has made them fearless." "I came back. They loved me until I could love myself." "They genuinely love and care for young people." "They're creative problem solvers." "They're good stewards of the resources given them." "They're grounded in prayer and worship."

We're a long way from reaching these goals, but we're on the path by God's grace and with the prayers and support of so many. Please continue to keep us in your prayers and be assured of ours.

We are only standing and fighting for the Kingdom because of God's provision through you.

I am most grateful. Many blessings from South Louisiana,

jerry+ op et al.
Free Church of the Annunciation,
4505 S. Claiborne Ave.,
New Orleans, LA 70125. 504-895-8697.

--The Rev'd Jerry Kramer is rector of the Church of the Annunciation in Exile in New Orleans, Louisiana. Please click on his website www.annunciationinexile.homestead.com and make a tax deductible donation to help him in his ministry.