New Orleans's Lower Ninth ward - in pictures

A house lies abandoned in the Lower Ninth ward, January 2014 Photograph: Julie Dermansky for the Guardian

Children's dolls amid the ruins of a New Orleans house ravaged by Katrina Photograph: Julie Dermansky for the Guardian

A discarded couch in front of another abandoned building in the Lower Ninth ward Photograph: Julie Dermansky for the Guardian

An ornate chandelier hangs uncomfortably inside a blighted home Photograph: Julie Dermansky for the Guardian

In total, 134,000 homes were damaged as four-fifths of New Orleans was flooded Photograph: Julie Dermansky for the Guardian

An abandoned house bearing an "X" code spraypainted by search teams Photograph: Julie Dermansky for the Guardian

In the Lower Ninth, hundreds of unwanted lots are still owned by the city Photograph: Julie Dermansky for the Guardian

Errol Joseph, 63-year-old former-resident of Forstall Street, in his old home Photograph: Julie Dermansky for the Guardian

Often all that remains of Lower Ninth dwellings are the front steps Photograph: Julie Dermansky for the Guardian

A house where re-construction started – and then stopped Photograph: Julie Dermansky for the Guardian

Volunteer workers with lowerline.org rebuilding a home in the Lower Ninth Photograph: Julie Dermansky for the Guardian

Skeleton of a shotgun house next to a brand new, two-storey home on Delery Street Photograph: Julie Dermansky for the Guardian

Another Lower Ninth house that still bears a 'Katrina tattoo' Photograph: Julie Dermansky for the Guardian

Everidge Green Jr in his grandfather's new eco-friendly home, built by Brad Pitt's Make it Right Foundation Photograph: Julie Dermansky for the Guardian

Make It Right is nearly two-thirds of the way to its target of 150 new houses Photograph: Julie Dermansky for the Guardian