State of Louisiana takes first steps to drop homeowners required to elevate and reconstruct their homes. In a June email homeowners were told grants will be rescinded of you do not select a contractor by July 31, 2019.

Published 6-13-2019 search group State Contractors

"Dear Homeowner,

You are receiving this notification because you have not closed on your grant award offered by Restore Louisiana.

Please note that you MUST execute your grant agreement by Wednesday, July 31, 2019 or the grant offered will be rescinded and you will no longer be able to participate in the Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program. "

According to reports filed for April and May the state of Louisiana Office of Community Development Disaster Recovery Unit working under the name of Restore Louisiana Homeowners Program has increased it's speed of processing grant awards by increasing the number of rescinded grants offered to homeowners.

April of 2019, 30 homeowners have had their HUD CDBG-DR grant awards rescinded by the state for state created policy reasons.

May of 2019 278 homeowners have had their HUD CDBG-DR grant awards rescinded by the state for state created policy reasons.

The state of Louisiana's timing will match the 3rd year since the flood and fall on or close to the anniversary date of the August 12th 2016 floods.

It appears the state has not formally offered homeowners with alternatives to their recovery. With over 2,000 homeowners at risk of losing everything from the flood to include all additional grant funds for unmet needs the state will face additional homelessness and blight as a result of meeting goals and deadline.

HUD officially allows the state to run the distribution of funds up and to the Sept. 2022. The state of Louisiana OCD-DRU has announced several times the closing dates of programs in 2018 and continues by rewording the closing of programs to the rescinding of grant awards.

"Elsewhere, this notice describes the extension of the expenditure deadline that the Department is authorized to provide to all CDBG-NDR (NDR = National Disaster Resilience) grantees, allowing them to expend funds until September 30, 2022. "

Grantee Name: Louisiana
Grant Number: B-16-DL-22_0001
Grant Award: $1,708,407,000
Balance: $973,501,310
Average of March, April, May Spending: $23,334,110
Grantee Spending Status: On Pace

NOTE: On Pace = Spending greater than the monthly pace required to fully use the grant by target closeout date.

Research Resource:

Monthly CDBG-DR Grant Financial Report May 31, 2019
CDBG-DR Reports Posted: Monthly Reports
Feb. 19th 2019 waivers Public Laws 114-223, 114-254 and 115-31.
Public Laws 114-223, 114-254 and 115-31.
Public Laws 114-223 (Approved September 29, 2016)
Public Laws 114-254 (Approved December 10, 2016)
Public Laws 115-31 (Approved May 5, 2017):
Waivers and Alternative Requirements for CDBG-DR Funds Appropriated by Public Law 114-223, 114-254 and 115-31 (Applicable only to the State of Louisiana)

Pursuant to the Prior Notice, each grantee is required to expend 100 percent of its allocation of CDBG-DR funds on eligible activities within 6 years of HUD's execution of the grant agreement.

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170 research topics

No inspection from FEMA? Registered and reported Minor Damage but able to live in my home? Only Remote Telephone Inspection? Home Repair Funds less than actual repairs?

#454 published 12-27-2022 updated 3-4-2023 1 min. 9 seconds read, search group Inspection.

If your manufactured home was damaged or developed unhealthy living conditions after a declared disaster due to the disaster can I receive a grant to replace my mobile home?

#443 published 1-23-2023 updated 3-4-2023 1 min. 26 seconds read, search group Manufactured Home.

Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program will provide assistance to homeowners who need to demolish and reconstruct their disaster damaged home.

#449 published 1-14-2023 26 seconds read, search group Damage.

How to use our Research Based Learning pages to better understand a subject, to collect the missing pieces of the puzzle, to start a research project or to close out your research project. Resources published here are parts or segments of..

#1 published 12-30-2018 updated 12-12-2020 1 min. 55 seconds read, search group HowToResearch.

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY: NON-PAID OVERWORKED NONPARTISAN

#241 published 4-23-2020 1 min. 9 seconds read, search group PSA.

Federal Disaster Assistance

When you are navigating the federal disaster assistance agencies your first stop should be to the TruckAndTools.Com Disaster Resources. Every disaster agency uses the same process but not every disaster agency follows strict policy and guidance. Don't go into your disaster recovery with blind trust of your federal and state agencies that are leading the push to get you sheltered and out of the program.

SBA Updates data processed from research between 11-2019 and 12-2019

#183 published 1-18-2020 3 min. 25 seconds read, search group SBALoans.

CDBG DR Award calculation letter determination on the eligibility of your grant.

#182 published 12-26-2019 2 min. 42 seconds read, search group GrantAwardLetter.

State of Louisiana Restore LA Program managed by the OCD-DRU says it will not pay interest on SBA loans.

#181 published 12-15-2019 2 min. 40 seconds read, search group HUDGuidance.

Understanding your SBA Phase and following the HUD disbursements of funds to pay off or pay down your SBA loan

#180 published 12-10-2019 3 min. 34 seconds read, search group SBA.

Contribute when you can.

For some households, the information I provide helps them get back in their homes. Others I've had a hand in helping them recovery from some of their disaster debt burden. In any case, when you use the information I provide and it's helpful and makes you more successful with your disaster rebuild or new construction then feel free to contribute what you can and when you can. It helps with the hours of unpaid research and reading.

Questions for Congressman Graves Live Facebook event 12-5-2019

#179 published 12-5-2019 4 min. 24 seconds read, search group Transparency.

170 research topics

Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program Announces Deadline to Complete the Survey

By Murray Wennerlund 6-6-2023

It is your federal tax dollars that fund the HUD CDBG-DR grant programs. If you dont apply, your state will use the dollars for its projects, and youll still be paying out of pocket for all your disaster recovery expenses.

Louisiana disaster victims to pay HUD fair market value for temporary shelters provided by FEMA

By Murray Wennerlund 5-3-2023

Every disaster leaves thousands of Louisiana families homeless. FEMA typically is the first to provide temporary shelter. The FEMA housing program goes for 18 months then becomes a for profit shelter by charging fair market rents to the homeless families

Restore Louisiana OCD-DRU denies homeowners entry to HUD CDBG-DR program because of missing FEMA damage report

By Murray Wennerlund 4-7-2023

FEMA doesnt inspect all damaged homes after a disaster. They often focus their efforts on most impacted and distressed areas. Often times you can be within the area of a disaster and be the only home on the block that is damaged.