The Louisiana Office of Community Development is accepting public comments on an action plan amendment to spend $3.1 billion in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funding for recovery from Hurricanes Laura, Delta and Ida and the May 2021 Severe Storms. This amendment proposes modifications to program budgets and revisions to two program narratives. The formal 30-day public comment period begins Oct. 9 and ends at 5 p.m. Nov. 7.
The 2020-21 Storms APA 6 proposes:
- Modification of program budgets for Planning, the Restore Louisiana Homeowner Program, Flood Insurance Program, Interim Housing Assistance, Middle-Market Loan Program, Rental Restoration and Development Program, Resilient Mixed Income Gap Funding Program, Housing Buyouts, HMGP Global Match Program, Nonfederal Share Match Program, Resilient Communities Infrastructure Program and Small Business Loan and Grant Program; and
- Revisions of the program narrative for the Resilient Communities Infrastructure Program and HMGP Global Match Program.
A copy of the plan is available at doa.la.gov/doa/ocd/policy-and-reports/apa/ or by calling 225.219.9600.
Members of the public can submit comments several ways:
- Emailing them to [email protected];
- Mailing them to Disaster Recovery Unit, P.O. Box 94095, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9095, Attn: Janice Lovett; or
- Faxing them to the attention of Janice Lovett at 225.219.9605
At the end of the official public comment period, the state will submit the action plan amendment to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for approval.
BACKGROUND: On April 1, 2022, the state published for public comment an initial action plan outlining proposed spending for $600 million in federal disaster recovery funds for Hurricanes Laura and Delta. The U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development approved the action plan on July 14, 2022. The state published a substantial amendment to that action plan on June 1, 2022, which proposed spending an additional allocation of $1.27 billion in federal funding for recovery from Hurricane Ida and the May 2021 Severe Storms, along with an additional allocation of $450 million for Hurricanes Laura and Delta. HUD approved this on Nov. 4, 2022. An additional substantial amendment to the action plan was published on June 7, 2023, for an additional allocation of $831.5 million for Hurricane Ida and the May 2021 Severe Storms. HUD approved this on Aug. 29, 2023.
