Entrepreneur P.Miller recently joined HUD secretary Shaun Donovan to break ground on the newly rebuilt B.W. Cooper Housing Projects in New Orleans.
The refurnished mixed-income development represents a goal Miller had to bring development money into his community. Initially, Miller’s goal was inspired by observing mogul Donald Trump and then working with business banking and financial management specialist Keith Mays.
As always, Miller hopes his work will be an example to his old colleagues in the music industry and those throughout his native New Orleans community.
“I want to be able to show these guys look at me. I changed my image, I changed my life and I had to grow up,” Miller explained. “I’m honored to be a part of the ground breaking alongside President Obama’s right hand man Secretary Shaun Donovan who shares the same goal as me, which is to help B.W. Cooper residents get back into their new homes.”
4 years after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, many areas in New Orleans remain ravaged and deserted. Secretary Donovan detailed that 30,000 families were still awaiting disaster help, as “duplication of benefits” rules left many homeowners without the necessary funds needed to finish home repairs.
“We worked closely with the state and the city to get services to them so we could help them with whatever challenges were keeping them from getting into a permanent home,” Donavan stated. “And as you heard today we made a number of changes to speed assistance to help rebuild homes.”
Formerly the B.W. Cooper Projects, the community has been renamed Marrero Commons after activist Yvonne Marrero, who passed away following Hurricane Katrina.
At press time, the development is scheduled to open to residents by the end of 2010.
P.Miller’s next community project will be Onemilliongifts.org, an ambitious directive to give one millions gifts to children in New Orleans by Christmas 2009.