HUD Archives: News Releases

HUD APPROVES DISASTER RECOVERY PLANS IN LOUISIANA
$91.7 million to support hard-hit areas including Jefferson and St. Tammany Parish

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today approved several disaster recovery plans throughout the State of Louisiana totaling $91.7 million to help local communities to recover from Hurricane Isaac in August of 2012. These disaster plans will rely on grants provided earlier this year through HUD's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program.

Earlier this year, HUD allocated nearly $107 million to support long-term disaster recovery efforts in especially hard-hit areas throughout Louisiana. The following grantees requested HUD approve recovery plans totaling $91.7 million to allow them to begin implementing their recovery strategies.

"This is another important step toward recovery and healing for hard-hit communities across Louisiana," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "State and local planners will now be able to implement their recovery strategies for restoring and rebuilding housing, infrastructure, and businesses that have been affected."

The Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013, signed into law by President Obama on January 29th, included $16 billion in CDBG-Disaster Recovery funding. HUD will announce additional allocations throughout the year based upon the level of remaining needs to help other states and local communities impacted by natural disasters in 2011-2013.

HUD's CDBG-Disaster Recovery grants are intended to confront housing, business and infrastructure needs beyond those addressed by private insurance and other forms of public assistance. Using a combination of data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA), HUD identified those states and local communities requiring the greatest assistance to recover from devastating tornadoes in the Southeast and Missouri; remnants of Hurricanes Irene and Lee in the Northeast and New England; severe flooding in parts of North Dakota; and destructive wildfires in Texas.

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