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State Offers Hundreds
of Millions to Further Strengthen Homes Against Future Storm
Damage
Individual Mitigation Measures Program Offers up to $7,500
for Road Home Applicants to Install Additional Safety
Measures
BATON ROUGE, La. - Thousands of Louisiana homeowners
affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita can now apply for
grant funds of up to $7,500 to take small-scale measures to
protect their homes from loss in future storms, including
installing roof-tie downs and storm shutters.
"In the aftermath of the great damage caused by
hurricanes Katrina and Rita, preventing future home damage
and loss is one of Louisiana's top priorities, which is why
we are offering grants to help homeowners pay to install
common sense protection like storm shutters," said Paul
Rainwater, executive director of the Louisiana Recovery
Authority.
"In Louisiana, we already have put more than $846 million
on the ground to help our residents raise their homes, and
these grants of up to $7,500 will help make homes even safer
and stronger than they are now. Individual Mitigation
Measures have always been considered the final phase of our
rebuilding program and we are happy to be in a position to
extend additional funding opportunities to those who wish to
protect their homes."
The Individual Mitigation Measures program, originally a
component of the state's Road Home program, is now
administered using Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)
funds provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in
the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Beginning this week, the state is mailing forms to more
than 100,000 Road Home applicants who selected "Option 1" to
rebuild or repair their homes, requesting that they opt-in
to the IMM program by March 10, 2010. Homeowners can also
use this form to choose to participate in the Office of
Community Development - Disaster Recovery Unit's HMGP
Elevation program, which offers eligible homeowners up to
$100,000 to elevate their homes.
Homeowners will work with mitigation analysts from the
OCD-DRU Hazard Mitigation program, and not the Road Home
program, for this funding. Homeowners who need information
about Individual Mitigation Measures should call
1-877-824-8312, not the Road Home hotline.
Because of FEMA regulations surrounding how HMGP funds
can be used and because these funds are offered as
reimbursement, homeowners should not install or start work
on Individual Mitigation Measures until speaking with a
Mitigation Analyst and their home has been cleared by the
program.
Homeowners who already completed Individual Mitigation
Measures that they think are eligible for reimbursement
should collect copies of receipts and invoices for the work,
which will be necessary to move forward with the program.
The state will base individual grant awards on the type
of Individual Mitigation Measure a homeowner takes. Because
of federal law, the state also must ensure that it is paying
homeowners for actual unmet needs and not duplicating a
benefit already provided for the same purpose.
WHAT IS AN INDIVIDUAL MITIGATION MEASURE?
IMMs are
small scale improvements homeowners can make to their
properties to protect their investments in the event of
future storms. Some examples of eligible work include:
- Strengthening doors;
- Protecting windows, including by installing storm
shutters;
- Bolting roofs to walls and walls to foundations;
- Elevating electrical panels or air conditioning
units;
- Raising washers, dryers, hot water heaters or
furnaces;
- Anchoring propane tanks or heating fuel tanks.
Mitigation Analysts can provide homeowners with more
detailed information about eligible mitigation activities.
DEADLINES
Homeowners must notify the state of their
interest in the IMM program and the HMGP elevation program
by March 10, 2010. To show interest, homeowners must return
their forms to the state postmarked by March 10, 2010.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Homeowners who need information
can call the IMM hotline at 1-877-824-8312 or e-mail
hazardmitigation@la.gov.
Information is also available online at
http://www.doa.louisiana.gov/cdbg/dr/hmgp/hmgp.htm.
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