Secretaries Donovan and Napolitano announce hurrican recovery furing for LouisianaMortgagePress.comShaun Donovan, Janet Napolitano, HUD, DHS, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Community Development Block Grant
On day one of U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary
Shaun Donovan and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Secretary Janet Napolitano's listening tour throughout New Orleans
and the Gulf Coast, the secretaries announced hundreds of millions
of dollars in funding to Louisiana to stimulate long-term recovery
in the wake of last year's devastating hurricane season and
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
"Today, we turn the page and start a new chapter in the federal
partnership with communities throughout Louisiana," said Donovan.
"HUD will work very closely with our counterparts at the state and
local level to make certain families can continue to live and work
in the Bayou State, whether it's producing affordable rental
housing, supporting our most vulnerable citizens, or stimulating
the state's employment base." "Our commitment to the Gulf Coast
remains unwavering and our determination to bring to completion
many of the projects is still underway," said DHS Secretary
Napolitano. "A lot of progress has been made to help the region
recover, but it is abundantly clear that there are still areas
where progress has stalled, bureaucracy has set-in, and people
continue to struggle. My goal is to eliminate the red-tape, help
rebuild now and rebuild the region stronger than ever."
The secretaries made these announcements at a press conference
in New Orleans on the first day of their listening tour. See below
for detailed announcements from HUD and DHS:
HUD developments
Donovan announced HUD's acceptance of the state of Louisiana's $438
million plan to support long-term disaster recovery following
Hurricanes Gustav and Ike last year. Funded through HUD's Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, Louisiana's recovery
strategy seeks to produce affordable rental housing, help
commercial and agricultural businesses, and support coastal
restoration. The state will provide more than 70 percent of its
allocation to local parishes to support a variety of affordable
housing, infrastructure, agricultural, and economic revitalization
programs.
In addition, HUD and the state of Louisiana will launch a new
five-year, $50 million program to offer permanent supportive
housing to approximately 1,000 homeless individuals and families
living with disabilities, such as a serious mental illness or
substance abuse. These funds will primarily be spent in the greater
New Orleans area, although other parishes impacted by Hurricanes
Katrina and Rita will receive a portion of these funds. HUD will
also provide $23 million in rental assistance vouchers to the
Louisiana Recovery Authority to support an estimated 2,000 elderly
and disabled disaster victims.
DHS announcements
Napolitano announced that FEMA will provide Public Assistance
Funding for several facilities in New Orleans that need to be
repaired or replaced. FEMA has agreed to provide replacement
funding for Police Stations #5 and # 7 and Fire Station #36 in New
Orleans, which experienced significant damage during the
hurricanes. FEMA also approved $12 million in additional funding to
help repair the St. Bernard Parish Water Treatment Plant. FEMA will
also provide funding to the Benjamin Franklin High School to help
fix the last remaining damaged areas and get the school back to
running condition.
Napolitano also announced the creation of two new joint review
teams, comprised of FEMA and state personnel, which will be tasked
with quickly and fairly resolving disputes under the Public
Assistance program. Theses teams will assure a transparent process
and promote close coordination between FEMA and the state to
identify disputes, address them quickly, resolve cost issues, and
expedite final decisions and approvals.
Additionally, Napolitano announced that FEMA will extend the
Relocation Assistance Program to May 1, 2009. Families that were
displaced from their primary residence in a disaster declared area
as a result of Katrina and Rita are eligible for up to $4,000 in
reimbursement for relocation expenses through the Relocation
Assistance Program. Under the new extension, applicants can file a
claim if they incurred relocation expenses between Aug.29, 2005 and
May 1, 2009.
Finally, at the request of the state of Mississippi, FEMA has
extended Mississippi's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program project
application deadline until June 30, 2009. This extension aligns the
Mississippi application deadline with Louisiana's deadline. The
Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is intended to reduce the loss of
life and property in future disaster by funding mitigation measures
during the recovery phase of a natural disaster. Over the past
three and a half years, Mississippi has made significant progress
in extremely challenging circumstances to create its program,
submit applications to FEMA, and receive over $150 million in
funding.
For more information, visit www.hud.gov.
