Public Invited to Comment on LRA Plan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

March 13, 2009

MEDIA CONTACT:

Christina Stephens
Louisiana Recovery Authority
225.342.1790
christina.stephens@la.gov

Public Invited to Comment on Amendments to Louisiana's Action Plan for Gustav, Ike Funding

BATON ROUGE, La. - The Louisiana Recovery Authority and the Office of Community Development on Thursday published the first amendment to the state's action plan for spending its allocation of federal Community Development Block Grant funds set aside for recovery from hurricanes Gustav and Ike, outlining programs aimed at addressing housing and infrastructure recovery, as well as assisting the agriculture and fisheries industries and providing funds for coastal restoration.

Action Plan Amendment No. 1 includes program details for:

Coastal Communities recovery, $15 million, to be administered by the Louisiana Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration:
Sustainable Coastal Communities Program;
Public Facilities and Improvements;
Wetlands Restoration;
Agricultural aid, $30 million, to be administered by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry:
Louisiana Farm Recovery Loan and Grant Program;
Louisiana Agribusiness Recovery Loan Assistance Program;
Louisiana Critical Farm Infrastructure Grant Program;
Fisheries aid, $15 million, to be administered by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries:
Critical Fisheries Infrastructure Program (Mobile Ice Fleets);
Commercial Fishing Gear Program;
Sustainable Coastal Communities Program;
Recreational Fishing Access and Recovery Program.
The amendment also includes more details about housing and infrastructure programs to be administered by individual parishes.

Citizens, community leaders and elected officials can access the plans and submit comments online by visiting http://www.doa.louisiana.gov/cdbg/dractionplans.htm and opening "Action Plan Amendment 1 to the Action Plan for the Utilization of CDBG Funds in Response to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike." A copy of the plans can be requested by calling (225) 219-9600.

The public can submit comments several ways:

Using the online form at http://www.doa.louisiana.gov/cdbg/dractionplans.htm;
Emailing them to ocd@la.gov;
Mailing them to Disaster Recovery Unit, P.O. Box 94095, 70804-9095, Attn: Paul Catrou;
Faxing them to the attention of Paul Catrou at (225) 219-9605.
To use federal CDBG funds and to amend existing disaster recovery plans, states must present action plan amendments for federal approval, following a public comment period. The LRA will address the amendment at its March 18, 2009, meeting, before forwarding it to the Legislature for approval.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan announced last week in New Orleans that HUD had approved Louisiana's plan for using its Gustav and Ike funding. So far, HUD has allocated $438 million to Louisiana for recovery from the 2008 storms.

Last fall, Congress set aside a $6.1 billion pool of CDBG funds for states affected by disasters in 2008. HUD has allocated the first third of the funding and will allocate the remaining funds in the coming weeks. Louisiana anticipates that it could get as much as $800 million total between the two rounds.

The state will set aside 25 percent of its total allocation for projects dealing with rental housing, agriculture and fisheries recovery and hurricane protection. The bulk of the funds will be allocated to the parishes based on their level of damage. Parishes will select from a menu of options and decide how they will spend the funds.

Created in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) is the coordinating and planning body leading the most extensive rebuilding effort in American history. The central point for hurricane recovery in Louisiana, the LRA works closely with the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) and partners with state and federal agencies to oversee more than $20 billion worth of programs, speed the pace of rebuilding, remove hurdles and red tape and ensure that Louisiana recovers safer and stronger than before.

More Housing Units Coming.... LRA Press Release

State of Louisiana Funds Two Workforce 
Rental Complexes in New Orleans
Preserve, Meridian Developments Hold Grand Opening on Tulane Avenue Corridor


BATON ROUGE, La. -- Representatives from the Louisiana Recovery Authority, the Office of Community Development and the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency joined investors, lawmakers and city officials at today's grand opening of two new multi-family rental housing developments in mid-city New Orleans, representing a combined public and private investment of more than $60 million.
The workforce housing developments, the Preserve and the Meridian, used $17.2 million in Community Development Block Grants from a pool of federal disaster recovery funds earmarked for low-to-moderate income households. The CDBG funds were "piggybacked" by the LRA onto almost $3 million of annual GO Zone Housing Tax Credits administered through the LHFA.
Paul Rainwater, LRA executive director said, "When hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit Louisiana, more than 82,000 units, or 47 percent of the rental housing in the state, were damaged or destroyed. In New Orleans alone, we lost more than 44,000 rental units. These new workforce housing developments will help restore critically needed rental stock to a valued workforce that drives our rebuilding efforts. Our recovery needs workers, and workers need affordable housing."
The new apartment complexes are located along the Tulane Avenue corridor, a section of the city that is vital to the growth of New Orleans because of its proximity to the central business district and the proposed medical complex.
At the Preserve, developer Domain Companies used $15.9 million in CDBG funding and $1.6 million in federal Go Zone Housing Tax Credits to create 183 units - of which 60 percent are market-rate rentals and 40 percent are workforce housing units.
At the Meridian, developer Domain Companies used $1.3 million in CDBG funding and $1.2 million in housing tax credits to create 72 units - of which 100 percent are workforce housing units.
Louisiana has awarded a total of 57 Piggyback projects in areas of the state most impacted by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, amounting to more than $580 million. Twenty-four of the projects, or 42 percent, either have closed on their financing packages or are under construction.
In total, the Piggyback program will create 8,185 rental units to help replace housing stock lost in the storms. More than 80 percent, nearly 7,000 units, will be built in the New Orleans metro area. Right now, 3,831 units are under construction statewide.
A total of 1,800 units are anticipated to come online by June, with an anticipated total of 3,200 units online by Dec. 31.

Louisiana Recovery Authority Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 31, 2008

MEDIA CONTACT:

Christina Stephens
Louisiana Recovery Authority
225.603.3896
christina.stephens@la.gov

Road Home Program Surpasses $500 million in Elevation Payouts in 2008

State Hazard Mitigation Grant Program holding one-on-one appointments with homeowners to begin second phase of elevation awards

BATON ROUGE, La. - The state of Louisiana has paid homeowners more than $543 million in federal funds through the Road Home program for home elevations after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, with the vast majority - almost $500 million -- coming since program re-launched this spring with a simplified award process.

So far, the Road Home has paid $543,608,113 in elevation funds to 18,914 homeowners through the program. Additionally, more than 4,400 applicants have been moved to closing.

"The half billion of elevation funds homeowners received this year will go a long way to ensuring safer rebuilding across Louisiana. The success of this elevation program hinges on our decision to simplify the award process and give homeowners flat award amounts," said Paul Rainwater, executive director of Louisiana Recovery Authority. "We have much to do in 2009, including working through thousands of sometimes complicated Road Home cases, paying out the remaining program elevation checks, pushing forward with elevations funded with hazard mitigation dollars and transitioning the Road Home program as the state's contract with ICF ends."

Louisiana put its elevation program on hold in April 2007 - after disbursing around $47.9 million to 2,000 homeowners - because of concerns over a potential shortfall in the Road Home budget. In late February 2008, the state announced it was reactivating the elevation program and notifying homeowners who qualified for elevation awards by letter.

To simplify and speed the process, rather than each homeowner having an individual elevation grant calculation, Louisiana altered the program so homeowners receive standard elevation amounts through the Road Home program. The Road Home Elevation Incentive provides up to $30,000 for site built homes and $20,000 for mobile homes to elevate to meet the current Advisory Base Flood Elevation or Base Flood Elevation levels. Total compensation through the Road Home, including the elevation award, is still capped at $150,000 per applicant.

In addition to the Road Home program, the state has started outreach to homeowners through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), with the first checks currently being processed. In total, the new state HMGP staff has reached out to 1,784 applicants and is actively working 600 project files. In recent weeks, targeted outreach sessions have resulted in 445 homeowner appointments. Because of the level of documentation required by federal HMGP regulations, the state is conducting one-on-one outreach with applicants to gather documents and check elevation progress.

Louisiana's $750 million elevation program is the largest HMGP elevation program ever run. Coupled with the $1 billion in CDBG elevations the state is paying through the Road Home, Louisiana is undertaking the largest elevation effort in American history.

State HMGP awards are separate from the Road Home Program and funds may exceed the $150,000 cap from the Road Home. Therefore, eligible homeowners can receive up to an additional $30,000 from the HMGP program for elevation or pilot reconstruction activities.

If you have questions about the Road Home Elevation Incentive call 877-234-1513 (Road Home Elevation Technical Assistance Hot Line). Questions about the State HMGP program should be directed to 877-744-7235. TTY users call 711 relay or 1-800-846-5277.

State of Louisiana Issues Last Call for Homeowners Interested in Road Home Elevations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

November 20, 2008

MEDIA CONTACT:

Christina Stephens
Louisiana Recovery Authority
225.342.1790
christina.stephens@la.gov


State of Louisiana Issues Last Call for Homeowners Interested in Road Home Elevations

Pace of payouts has increased, will exceed half a billion by year's end

BATON ROUGE, La. - Road Home applicants who are interested in receiving elevation funding from the Road Home program must return their Elevation Incentive Forms to the program by December 5, 2008.

In April, the program began mailing letters to Road Home applicants who were potentially eligible to receive elevation funding for their homes. The letters described elevation programs that were being offered by the Road Home and by the state under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Included with the letter were interest forms for both programs, which applicants were required to return to the program if they wished to be considered for elevation funding. Continued inquiries, educational opportunities presented by August outreach events and a steady flow of letters returned to the program after the original cutoff led the state to continue accepting interest forms, thus bringing more than 6,300 additional applicants into the elevation program.

A deadline of December 5, 2008, has been set for all Road Home Elevation Incentive Forms to be returned to the program. It is important to note that although a deadline has been established for Road Home forms to be returned, the state will continue to accept interest forms for the HMGP Elevation program past this deadline.

"We wanted to bring as many people as possible into the elevation program, which is why we have been accepting these forms, in hopes of identifying as many applicants as possible," said Paul Rainwater, executive director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority. "That said, it is time for the interest period for Road Home elevations to come to an end, so we are issuing one last call for homeowners to return these forms within the next two weeks."

"The pace of this program has sped up significantly because of the decision to pay homeowners a flat elevation amount, rather than using a complicated formula to determine awards. We've paid out hundreds of millions of dollars in the past few weeks and we are very likely to pass the half-billion mark before the end of the year," Rainwater said.

So far, the Road Home has paid $418 million to 14,651 homeowners through its elevation program. The vast majority of this progress has been since the state restarted the program earlier in the year and streamlined the process by offering flat grant awards to homeowners. Another 3,983 elevation payouts, totaling almost $116 million, are in the pipeline to close at the closing companies.

The state Hazard Mitigation Program has started a pilot program for several hundred homeowners, including one-on-one meetings with these homeowners and visits to their homes. It anticipates cutting its first checks before the end of the year.

By signing these forms, homeowners are ONLY indicating interest in learning more about these elevation funds. Returning the forms does not guarantee the receipt of an award, nor does it obligate a homeowner to accept an award.

Homeowners who returned these forms should have received a postcard confirming receipt. Homeowners who have not received an elevation information letter, but believe they are eligible for elevation funds may contact the Road Home by calling 1-888-762-3252. Also, homeowners who have need to request another copy of their letter may do so by calling this number.

Road Home to Host Community Outreach Sessions across South Louisiana

BATON ROUGE, La. (August 07, 2008) - The Road Home program will hold community outreach sessions across South Louisiana in the month of August to assist applicants affected by upcoming deadlines in the program.

During the community outreach sessions applicants can turn in documents, complete benefit selection forms and ask questions directly of program staff, without scheduling an appointment, on a first-come, first-served basis. State staff will be on hand to make decisions about extensions and unique cases.

"We must make sure homeowners are moving forward and actively working with the program so that all eligible applicants can to go to closing and get the money they need to rebuild," said Paul Rainwater, executive director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority. "Our goal is not to force anyone out of the Road Home program. We know many people have complicated cases involving title and power of attorney issues. We will be notifying these applicants of their next steps by letter in the coming weeks."

"We are happy to work with homeowners who still have documents to turn into the program," Rainwater said. "These outreach events will allow homeowners an easy way to sit down and meet with program advisors and state officials face-to-face."

Dates for outreach events are:

August 5
11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Houma Terrebonne Civic Center
346 Civic Center Boulevard 70360
Houma, LA

August 7
11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Lake Charles Civic Center
900 Lakeshore Drive
Lake Charles, LA 70601

August 9
10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
UNO Lindy Boggs Conference Center
2045 Lakeshore Drive
New Orleans, LA 70122

August 12
11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Alario Center
at the Bayou Segnette Sports Complex
2000 Segnette Boulevard
Westwego, LA 70094

August 14
11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Crystal Palace
10020 Chef Menteur Highway
New Orleans, LA 70127 August 19
11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
North Shore Harbor Center
100 Harbor Center Boulevard
Slidell, LA 70461

August 21
11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Holiday Inn-New Iberia
2915 Highway 14
New Iberia 70560

August 24
Noon - 5 p.m.
Lake Charles Civic Center
900 Lakeshore Drive
Lake Charles, LA 70601

August 26
11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Location to be announced
in Orleans Parish August 28
11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
St. Patrick's Church
28698 Highway 23
Port Sulphur, LA 70083

Dear reader,
I italicized the dates prior to August 11th because I did not receive this email in a timely manner. There were even dates from August 5th on the release. This is remarkably unfortunate, because the release is dated August 7th.

Louisiana Announces Critical Road Home Deadline in September

Louisiana Announces Critical Road Home Deadline in September


BATON ROUGE, La. (July 30, 2008) - Road Home applicants who have not decided whether they will rebuild or sell their homes, who have not returned necessary documents or who have not provided proof of occupancy must do so by September 5, 2008, the state of Louisiana announced Wednesday.

Affected homeowners are being notified by letters beginning this week. This deadline affects several groups of homeowners:

* 3,100 who have not completed and returned a "Benefit Selection Form," commonly called the "yellow letter;"
* 1,800 who have yet to provide documents proving they occupied their homes at the time of the storms;
* 3,000 who have yet to provide ownership documents;
* 500 whose files are missing other documents, such as social security cards.

"Though the Road Home has served more than 115,000 families since 2006, we have a few thousand who have not moved forward in the program. We want to help these homeowners take the next step toward receiving the rebuilding money they need, but we need their help to do this," said Paul Rainwater, executive director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority. "Homeowners should know that while this September 5 deadline is a reality, we will have Road Home staff travelling the state hosting information meetings during the month of August to assist them with moving forward."

"We want each applicant to get the rebuilding money he or she is eligible for under the Road Home program, which is why these deadlines and this outreach is necessary. In our quest to improve customer service in the program as we move through its final year, we will be offering hands-on assistance to homeowners in the month of August to ensure that no homeowner who wants to continue to move forward is unable to do so," Rainwater said.

Each homeowner group will receive a letter outlining the action they need to complete by September 5, 2008. The largest group affected is those who have not yet notified the program of what they wish to do with their homes by returning a benefit selection form to the program. Homeowners have three options:

* Option 1 - To stay in their home and rebuild;
* Option 2 - To sell their home to the state and purchase a new home within the state of Louisiana.
* Option 3 - To sell their home to the state.

Several hundred homeowners who have not yet received their Benefit Selections Form will not be affected by this deadline. They will have a full 60 days from the time they receive their Benefit Selections Form to return it to the program and will be notified of such in a letter.

Homeowners who have not yet returned documents to the program have been notified multiple times in writing and by their Road Home representatives. Applicants with questions about which documents the program still needs from them should contact their Road Home representative or the Road Home hotline at 1-888-762-3252 (TTY: 1-800-566-4224).

In addition to the letters, the Road Home will host outreach sessions across south Louisiana during the month of August. During the sessions applicants can turn in documents, complete benefit selection forms and ask questions directly of program staff, without scheduling an appointment, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Applicants should watch the newspaper for announcements of dates, locations and times for these outreach events. The Road Home will also send reminder post cards with information about outreach events.

Applicants with questions can contact the Road Home at 1-888-762-3252 (TTY: 1-800-566-4224) or go online to www.Road2La.org.

Louisiana Recovery Authority Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 19, 2008
MEDIA CONTACT:
Christina Stephens
Louisiana Recovery Authority
225.603.3896
christina.stephens@la.gov

Office of State Planning Task Force Releases Report
BATON ROUGE, La. (February 19, 2008) - The task force charged with studying and making recommendations for the creation of a comprehensive Office of State Planning released its report to the Louisiana Legislature today.
The Louisiana Legislature established the task force during the 2007 Regular Session. The creation of a group to make recommendations on this issue was a 2007 legislative priority of the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA). The establishment of a coordinated State Office of Planning is a 2008 priority of Louisiana Speaks.
Among the report's recommendations are:
0. The state planning office should be located within the executive branch and include oversight by a planning commission.
0. The office should serve as a central repository for data and plans; provide technical support, including monitoring of local plan implementation and providing education and information about best practices; administer incentive and program funding to assist local governments and coordinate state planning efforts.
0. The LRA should serve as an interim location for the housing and development of the Office of State Planning, with the LRA conducting a statewide capacity assessment and adjusting its staffing and budget to perform additional planning implementation activities
0. To download a copy of the report, click here.
The task force includes appointees from the Governor's Office, the Division of Administration, the LRA, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), the Police Jury Association, the Louisiana Municipal Association, the Louisiana Association of Planning and Development Districts, the Louisiana Chapter of the American Planning Association, the Center for Planning Excellence (CPEX) and Louisiana Speaks.
The Legislature passed House Concurrent Resolution 29 by Rep. Cheryl Gray recommending the task force during the regular session of 2007. Click here to read the resolution.
The input of world-renowned planners, local experts and more than 27,000 Louisiana citizens formed the basis of the Louisiana Speaks Regional Plan, which provides a broad strategic framework and priorities for land use, transportation, community growth and economic development in South Louisiana. One of more than 100 action items included in the plan calls for the creation of a coordinating and capacity-building entity at the state level which would provide a framework in which state, regional, and local governing bodies can coordinate to implement Louisiana's strategic vision for the future.
Louisiana Speaks is the long-term planning initiative of the Louisiana Recovery Authority that is supported with private funds provided by the LRA Support Foundation. For more information about Louisiana Speaks, visit www.louisianaspeaks.org.
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated South Louisiana, claiming 1,464 lives, destroying more than 200,000 homes and 18,000 businesses. The Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) is the planning and coordinating body that was created in the aftermath of these storms to lead one of the most extensive rebuilding efforts in the world. The LRA is a 33-member body which is coordinating across jurisdictions, supporting community recovery and resurgence, ensuring integrity and effectiveness, and planning for the recovery and rebuilding of Louisiana.