Hurricane Francine Program Overview
Program Overview
The Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program provides grant funding to homeowners affected by Hurricane Francine for home repairs, reconstruction and/or reimbursement for repairs already completed.
The program is administered by the Louisiana Office of Community Development Disaster Recovery and is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through federal appropriations of Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds
Who Can Receive Assistance
To be eligible for program assistance, homeowners must meet the following requirements:
- Must have been the owner-occupant at the time of the disaster event and still maintain ownership throughout application period
- The damaged address must have been the homeowner's primary residence at the time of the disaster event
- The damage suffered must be a result of Hurricane Francine
- The structure must be eligible as determined by the program, which includes single family homes, duplexes, mobile homes and condominiums
- Must be a U.S. citizen or legally documented resident.
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Must have applied for FEMA Individual Assistance following the disaster, and FEMAs damage assessment must indicate that the damage to home is major/severe, which includes at least one of the following:
- FEMA inspected residential damage of $8,000 or greater
- At least one foot of flooding on the first floor
- FEMA inspected personal property damage of $3,500 or greater
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The structure must be in one of the disaster-declared parishes:
Ascension
Assumption
Lafourche
St. Charles
St. James
St. John
St. Mary
Terrebonne
The first step in receiving program assistance is to complete the program survey.Â
Eligible Activities
Eligible activities under the Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program include:
- Home Repairs
- Home Reconstruction
- MHU Replacement
Homeowner Program Process
- Complete The Program Survey
Completing the program survey is the first step in receiving program assistance.
The survey can be completed on any smart phone, tablet or mobile device at restore.la.gov, or by calling the program call center at 866.735.2001.
- Environmental Review
The federally required environmental review is the process of reviewing a project and its potential environmental impact to determine whether it meets federal, state and local environmental standards. The environmental review is conducted without an appointment and from the road or right-of-way.
- Complete The Program Application
Qualified homeowners who submitted a program survey and have had an environmental review of their property performed by the program will be invited to complete the program application according to their phase. The application may be completed on any mobile device, such as a smart phone, computer or tablet, by accessing the link provided in the email sent by the program.
- Eligibility Review
The program will review the application and information from third-party sources to determine whether the homeowner meets eligibility requirements for the program. If the program is unable to verify information from third party sources, applicants may be required to submit supporting documentation for program review.
- Damaged & Lead Assessment
During a scheduled damage assessment appointment with the applicant, inspectors will use industry standard software to inspect work already completed and to determine a scope of work for prospective repairs needed to complete the home. The program will also send inspectors to test for lead-based paint int home constructed prior to 1978.
- Award Determination
After steps 1-5 are completed, the homeowner will receive their calculated grant award which accounts for any duplication of benefits. The homeowner will have 60 days to either accept or appeal their award. Homeowners may also consult with their case manager during this period.
- Contractor Selection
Prior to closing on their grant awards, applicants will be asked to select their contractor based on their previously chosen solution. Applicant will be able to work with their case manager throughout the contractor selection process.
Please visit the program Resources page for more information on contractor selection:
- Reconstruction: Things You Need to Know
- 10 Tips for Hiring a Contractor
- Mobile Home Unit Repair Options
- Fortified Construction Checklist
- Fortified Roof Checklist
- Grant Agreement & Execution
After accepting their award, the homeowner will meet with the closing team to sign their grant agreement.
- Reimbursement, Repair, Reconstruction
Once the grant agreement is executed and depending on the homeowner's selected solution, the homeowner will be issued a reimbursement check and/or will be provided a grant award to repair or reconstruct their home. The allotted time for project repairs/reconstruction starts on the date the grant agreement is executed.
The program offers a comprehensive resource library to assist homeowners through each step of the application process.
View Program ResourcesNeed assistance?
If you need additional help with your application, please call the program call center at 866.735.2001 between 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.