Louisiana will receive nearly $1.7 billion in federal assistance for continued rebuilding from hurricanes in 2020 and 2021. The money comes from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as part of the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. Governor John Bel Edwards said he is grateful to HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge for expediting the aid.
“That visit went a long way, in terms of not just having her see what’s happening on the ground here, but actually reassuring the people of Louisiana on a promise that she has certainly made good on,” said Edwards.
HUD is giving Louisiana nearly a half-billion dollars in Community Development Block Grants for housing assistance for those still struggling with recovery from Hurricane Laura & Delta in 2020. The Governor said this is enough to help those with low-to-moderate incomes.
“Additional $450 million for Hurricanes Laura and Delta from 2020 will certainly go a long way to help southwest Louisiana recover from those disasters,” said Edwards.
In addition, HUD has allocated another $1.27 billion for rebuilding from Hurricane Ida last summer. Edwards said this will go a long way to meeting the need of residents and communities in Ida’s path.
“The low to moderate-income housing both for homeowners and for renters will be taken care of with the allocation that was announced Monday,” said Edwards.
Alberto Galan who’s overseeing Long Term Recovery in Calcasieu Parish says the funding will in large part finally help with those unmet housing needs.
“And this is a huge, huge boost, to the morale here in the community, even though it will still take some time for that money to hit the ground,” said Galan.
And while the state is awaiting those funds Galan encourages those in need to first fill out a survey with the state’s Office of Community Development. He says the survey is quick and easy.
“So that folks can get in the system and can get contacted as folks become eligible, as programs start to roll out so that the state can identify particular people that have a need,” said Galan.
Almost 19 months after Laura made landfall in southwest Louisiana, Galan says news of funding renews hope in the community that at least the process to get the ball rolling for those with unmet housing needs has been set in motion.
“That even though it won’t happen tomorrow, it won’t happen next week, it won’t happen next month, that money has now set a process in motion that will help a lot of homeowners that really had nowhere else to turn,” said Galan.
Galan said even with record inflation since the catastrophic hurricane, funding formulas recognize the increase in construction expenses.
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