HUD AWARDS MORE THAN $5.3 MILLION IN DISASTER RELIEF AND RECOVERY FUNDS TO THE CITY OF LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced the awarding of more than $5.3 million to Lake Charles, Louisiana to assist in the city's recovery from Hurricanes Delta and Laura. The new Community Development Block Grant Declared Disaster Recovery Fund (DDR) money will help Lake Charles communities rebuild and become more resilient to future disasters.

"Today's award announcement will help Lake Charles continue its efforts to rebuild and restore the fabric of so many neighborhoods still reeling from the events of 2020," said HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. "HUD understands the devastation Louisiana has faced from disasters in recent years. That is why we are committed to ensuring that the state and impacted communities have robust resources to meet remaining housing needs and build inclusive resilience to future disasters and the impacts of climate change by investing in measures that reduce risks to people and property in underserved communities."

The $5,355,592 in funding will help Lake Charles recover from a series of disasters in 2020 - most notably, Hurricanes Laura and Delta, which delivered a one-two punch to the city in August and October of that year.

On August 28, 2020, FEMA issued a major disaster declaration that included Lake Charles and Calcasieu Parish for Hurricane Laura. Less than two months later, Lake Charles was again in the eye of the storm as Hurricane Delta came ashore. This double strike has impaired the ability of Lake Charles residents to recover, especially those low- and moderate-income individuals and families most impacted by the hurricanes.

HUD's analysis of FEMA registrant data shows that over 14,000 homes in Lake Charles received damage due to Hurricane Delta alone, with over 4,000 of these homes still having serious unmet needs.

Early this month, HUD announced the allocation of more than $2 billion ($2,040,617,000) in additional disaster recovery funds appropriated in the continuing resolution, the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (PL 117-43; the Act), signed into law on September 30, 2021. Louisiana was among the ten states that received allocations for 2020 disasters. PL 117-43 appropriated a total of $5 billion in funds for major disasters that occurred in 2020 or 2021. Allocation of the remaining funds will be made over the next few months to address remaining unmet needs, including those that occurred in 2021, such as Hurricane Ida.

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