As reported by (the appropriately named) David Hammer in the New Orleans Times-Picayune on Monday, today is the deadline for applications by Louisiana homeowners to secure extra construction aid from the Road Home program. These grants of up to $100,000 are available to those who had selected "Option 1" under the original Road Home grant process, and can be used for additional repairs. Today is also the deadline for the Individual Mitigation Measures program, which is administered separately from Road Home.
Road Home was established to provide funding for rehabilitation of homes damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. The State of Louisiana was given more than $10 billion by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to establish Road Home. Eligible homeowners received as much as $150,000 from the original budget to cover repair costs. In addition, the program provided support for owners of rental properties and training opportunities for contractors and engineers contributing to the massive rebuilding effort.
Using funds from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), Louisiana launched the Individual Mitigation Measures program, which provides up to $7,500 for homeowners to complete storm-resistant improvements like shutter installation, elevation of air conditioning units, and anchoring of heating fuel tanks. All together, more than $850 million was spent on home elevation in the four years after Katrina, boosting construction sector jobs and muting the effects of the nationwide housing downturn in Louisiana until recently.
Road Home participants who have not received applications for supplementary reconstruction and mitigation grants should call 1.888.762.3252 or e-mail [email protected]. Owners of rental properties can also e-mail [email protected]. For questions about IMM, call the state's toll-free mitigation hotline at 1.877.824.8312 or e-mail [email protected].
Homeowners who return forms after March 10 may still receive funding on a first-come, first-served basis, so make sure to apply as soon as possible!