Natalia Evdokimova, a 2007 law fellow from Russia, recently participated in a trip to New Orleans organized by the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. Together with other volunteers, college students, and New Orleans' residents, the team participated in the Mapping Project led by Lower 9th Ward NENA (Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association). The Lower 9th Ward neighborhood was greatly devastated by hurricane Katrina flood waters. Housing conditions there are still incomplete or outdated. Walking through the neighborhood, Ms. Evdokimova's team surveyed the Lower 9th Ward’s housing and made a door to door population count in order to determine current status of the Ward’s housing and to update population statistics. The mapping project results will be used to obtain a snapshot picture of the current condition of the Lower 9th Ward, access the assets and needs of the area, gain further funding for revitalization, and assist in neighborhood strategic planning.
