NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana will undertake the largest single home elevation project in American history, thanks to grant money to help homeowners pay for measures to make their homes safer and stronger.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved the use of more than $96.5 million in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding to elevate nearly 3,000 homes devastated by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, FEMA announced in conjunction with the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA), the Louisiana Office of Community Development (OCD) and the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) on Wednesday.

“This unique grant making elevation funds available under the guidance of two programs represents successful collaboration with state and federal agencies to help homeowners rebuild stronger in communities across Louisiana,” said FEMA’s acting Associate Deputy Administrator for Gulf Coast Recovery Jim Stark. “In many cases, these grants will help those who already have taken the initiative to start rebuilding their homes out of harm’s way by elevating the structure.”

This grant is one of the largest, single HMGP project obligations and is the first “batch” of grants in a series that will be made available to the state. The goal of this mitigation funding is to elevate or reconstruct more than 20,000 flood-prone structures throughout Louisiana.  OCD has requested $750 million in federal funds to elevate these homes.

“We are embarking on the single largest elevation program in history and we are committed to working closely with our state and federal partners to ensure homeowners across south Louisiana have the opportunity to rebuild their homes safer, stronger and smarter,” said LRA and OCD Executive Director Paul Rainwater.  “By providing this additional elevation money to homeowners, we are able to help alleviate the financial burden associated with mitigation and homeowners are in turn able to protect their homes from future storms.”

The HMGP funding will work in tandem with Louisiana’s Road Home program. Applicants of the Road Home program whose actual elevation costs exceed the elevation funding they received under the Road Home may be eligible for additional funds. The state Hazard Mitigation program will award a maximum of $30,000 in HMGP funds to eligible applicants to elevate their homes to comply with local floodplain ordinances or Advisory Base Flood Elevation, whichever is higher. This grant is directed towards those homeowners who are not already participating in the HMGP through their parish.

“This grant is the result of the outstanding cooperation between the mitigation staffs at GOHSEP and FEMA,” said State Hazard Mitigation Officer Casey Levy. “We are now able to expand the scope of the HMGP after Katrina and Rita to reach thousands of Louisiana’s citizens and assist them in the rebuilding of their homes.”

The $96 million in HMGP funds obligated to the state, the first of several batches of funding Louisiana will apply for from FEMA , will support the elevation of almost 3,000 homes. The state identifies properties for the program and FEMA approves them, clearing the way for homeowners to access the money when the program begins reimbursing homeowners later this year. The HMGP award also includes $100,000 allocated to OCD for informing and educating homeowners on the various requirements for eligibility in the program.

Repairs have already begun or have been completed on a majority of the houses that will receive funding from the first batch of grants. FEMA funding for work already in progress, a change from business as usual, is made possible through a limited exception for retroactive approvals that FEMA requested and was granted by the Office of Management and Budget as a result of the unique circumstances in Louisiana after hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

To participate in the program, homeowners must return letters mailed from the Road Home program indicating that they wish to elevate their homes through the state HMGP program. To date, more than 100,000 Road Home eligible recipients have received letters announcing that funds are available to assist them with the cost of elevating their homes and more than 12,000 homeowners have indicated their interest in the program. The state expects to begin giving funds to homeowners in early fall of 2008.  

The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program provides grants to states and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures after a major disaster declaration, to reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during the immediate recovery from a disaster.

The state of Louisiana will issue a request for proposals to hire a contractor to manage Louisiana’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Elevation and Pilot Reconstruction Projects. 

A congressionally mandated study conducted for FEMA revealed that mitigation saves society an average of $4 for every dollar spent. Such defensive, preventative mitigation measures learned and implemented by Louisiana will contribute to a national floodplain management plan that saves taxpayers an estimated $1.1 billion per year by preventing flood damages.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated South Louisiana, claiming 1,464 lives, destroying more than 200,000 homes and 18,000 businesses. The Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) is the planning and coordinating body that was created in the aftermath of these storms to lead one of the most extensive rebuilding efforts in the world. The LRA is a 33-member body which is coordinating across jurisdictions, supporting community recovery and resurgence, ensuring integrity and effectiveness, and planning for the recovery and rebuilding of Louisiana.