At Friday's meeting of the Restore Louisiana Task Force, the members approved a formal request for an additional $2 billion in recovery funds as part of a federal budget proposal being considered by Congress next week.
The state gained access to the first $1.6 billion on April 10th, allowing the homeowner assistance program to begin. The first step in applying for that program is completing the Homeowners Flood Damage Survey. In the first eleven days, nearly fifteen thousand people have done so. That’s less than twenty percent of the households damaged.
Julie Baxter Payer with the Governor’s Office says this survey will also help get up-to-date information on the unmet needs of those affected.
“We believe that with 1.6 billion that we received just last week, that we can help about 36,500 families of the 90,000 homeowners who had FEMA verified loss," she said.
No deadline has been set for the survey, and families and homeowners are urged to participate. The survey can be found on the Restore Louisiana Task Force website, and can also be taken by phone, Monday through Saturday, 7am until 7pm: 866-735-2001
This report is made possible by the Louisiana Public Radio Partnership, with funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
