#masonbuild: in progress

After Hurricane Katrina, the home on Lamanche Street, that Mr. Mason’s father built, needed to be completely gutted. It was the only house on the block left standing after the levees broke in 2005. Mr. Mason has lived in the Lower 9th Ward for the majority of his life and hopes to be able to return to his family home soon.

lowernine.org began the full rebuild of Mr. Mason’s home in 2023. The entire house has been reframed, from the floors to the walls and the roof rafters. New plywood and siding have been installed on the exterior. New plywood and synthetic paper have been re-laid on the roof, replacing rotten boards. New shingles will be added in February 2026. Volunteers have been busy hammering in hurricane straps, replacing soffit and fascia boards, digging fence post holes, and pouring concrete to fill the new porch and post holes.

Plumbing and electrical lines and fixtures still need to be installed, and utilities turned on by the city. Once those are completed lowernine.org and volunteers will be able to install HVAC, drywall, windows, fixtures, doors, and flooring. Stay tuned for updates.

To help fund the rebuilding of Mr. Mason’s home, please donate and email [email protected] letting us know to put your donation towards this project.

  • A woman wearing safety gear and a green helmet uses a chisel on a brick wall. Other workers and debris are visible.
  • Workers in hard hats and safety gear are renovating a house, removing bricks from a wall.
  • Damaged brick wall of a house shows a large missing section, revealing wooden planks and a broken window.
  • Partially renovated exterior of a house under construction. The wooden framing is exposed, with old windows above and bricks scattered below.
  • Two people are working on a house construction project. One holds a level against plywood, and the other assists nearby. There's a ladder and exposed framing.
  • People work together to install plywood on a building's frame. They wear casual work clothes and seem focused.
  • Narrow alley between homes; right house under renovation with plywood, exposed beams.
  • Three people are involved in construction work, applying a protective blue membrane onto a wooden wall.
  • Three people work together to apply building material to the side of a house. They are focused and collaborative, standing between two narrow houses.
  • Construction scene of a house with workers on the porch and others near brick piles. A trench with a blue tube runs from the foreground to the house.