[StBernard] Grant applicants coming home

[Westley Annis]

Grant applicants coming home
By Michelle Krupa
Staff writer

Almost three-fourths of New Orleans homeowners applying for federal grants
say they will use the money to rebuild their flood-ruined properties rather
than take a buyout or relocate, a figure that far surpasses the state
average and may signal the potent recovery of a city still largely mired in
decay. 


The data, released Tuesday in the most detailed report so far of the
intentions of homeowners who have applied to the state's $7.5 billion Road
Home program, suggest the potential for the widespread rebirth of New
Orleans, even as blight continues to pervade neighborhoods 13 months after
the flood, the top official of the Louisiana Recovery Authority said. 

"I think that's good news," said Andy Kopplin, the LRA's executive director.
"I think it says that folks want to stay in New Orleans, and those who have
been dislocated want to come back home, and that's a very positive
statement." 

Statewide, 56 percent of applicants said they intend to rebuild at the site
of their destroyed homes, while 11 percent said they plan to move within
Louisiana and 1 percent said they will move out of state, the report shows.
Thirty-two percent were undecided or did not provide information about their
housing plans. 

In New Orleans, only 17 percent offered no firm plans, though 12 percent
said they intend to move, and most of those plan to stay in Louisiana. 

Moreover, the higher return-and-rebuild rate in New Orleans skews the state
average; the percentage of people rebuilding in other parishes is 48
percent. 


Cautious optimism 

The numbers, however, should not be weighed too strongly, Kopplin said.
Homeowners are not bound by the intentions they express on the applications.
So far, grants have been awarded to 255 families; only 13 have actually
received them, with an average award of $41,582, program managers reported
Tuesday. 

Furthermore, only 33,885 applications have been processed statewide,
accounting for about one-fourth of the 123,000 residents who are expected to
be eligible for housing aid. Kopplin said as many as 30,000 more
applications have been received but have not yet been entered into a
computer management system. 

In New Orleans, where 53,000 homeowners are expected to qualify for $3.7
billion in grants, only 11,685 applications have been entered so far, the
data show. 

Despite the small sample size, Kopplin said he was hardly surprised this
week to learn that New Orleans residents by and large intend to come home,
noting that the LRA got similar responses when it asked residents in March
to register online with the state agency. 

"Those were pleasant surprises when we first heard about them, and this data
bears that out: that the majority of people want to stay here and rebuild in
their hometown," he said. 

Kopplin said the LRA intends to share the data, possibly broken down by ZIP
code, with city and parish leaders across the state to help them manage
rebuilding strategies. More detailed information also will be available to
the public, he said, but only after the sample size grows to ensure
applicants' privacy. 


'A thousand in a week' 

Kopplin also said he is pleased with the rate of return of applications,
given the complexity of the form and the fact that the program made its
questionnaire available as late as Aug. 20. 

"If we get 50,000 to 60,0000 applications in a month's time, I happen to
think that's very good," he said. "We're getting a thousand in a week." 

Road Home officials said Tuesday that they are sending out 4,000 letters per
day to homeowners whose applications have been received and reviewed.
Homeowners must complete an application online or submit a hard copy whether
or not they have already registered for the program with the LRA. 

Once an application is received, the Road Home team reviews the document,
then sends a letter instructing the applicant to call to schedule an
appointment at one of 10 centers across the state. 

Word spreading 

Kopplin said that as residents learn of their neighbors' and relatives'
experiences with the program, the rate of applications likely will pick up.
"When people get the phone calls and start getting the letters, I think it
really creates some energy," he said. 

While the news of homeowners' return to New Orleans seems positive, nowhere
do the numbers seem bleaker than in suburban St. Bernard Parish, where
nearly every shop and home was flooded. 

So far, only 37 percent of parish residents who have applied for grants said
they planned to rebuild their houses where they stood before the storm.
Another 42 percent are seeking buyouts of some kind, though most indicated
they planned to remain in Louisiana. 

The rest of the 3,805 applicants in St. Bernard are undecided or didn't
indicate their choice. 

To start the application process, visit www.road2LA.org or call 1 (888)
762-3252. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Michelle Krupa can be reached at mkrupa at timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3312.