WASHINGTON – (RealEstateRama) — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced it is providing Baton Rouge and Lafayette, Louisiana with an early infusion of $13 million in disaster assistance in the wake of last month’s devastating flooding. The announcement was made by HUD Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Harriet Tregoning following a meeting with members of Governor John Bel Edward’s Restore Louisiana Task Force.
The funding is provided through a special recovery fund established under the HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. This Declared Disaster Recovery Fund will provide $11 million to Baton Rouge/East Baton Rouge Parish and $1.9 million Lafayette/Lafayette Parish, which are eligible since they are entitlement communities under the CDBG program.
“We’ve got to roll up our sleeves to support recovery in any way we can,” said Tregoning. “HUD will continue to work very closely with our state and local partners to plan and execute a long-term strategy to help homeowners get back in their homes, to rebuild critical infrastructure and to help local businesses open their doors again.”
While there have been 26 major presidentially declared disasters this year, the most significant of these events was the flooding in Louisiana, with significant damage occurring in areas around Baton Rouge and Lafayette. This award is a small but targeted source of funding to meet emergency community development needs while the status of any larger supplemental appropriation gets resolved.
The consolidated governments of Baton Rouge/East Baton Rouge Parish and Lafayette/Lafayette Parish can use the funding announced today to:
Provide support for persons and families experiencing homelessness;
Repair damaged infrastructure;
Rehabilitate damaged homes; and
Restore rental properties and businesses.
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HUD’s mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all.
More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet
at www.hud.gov and http://espanol.hud.gov.
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Brian Sullivan
(202) 402-7527
