[StBernard] Governor Blanco acknowledges Louisianas $75 million alternative housing grant from FEMA; seeks clar

[Westley Annis]

Governor Blanco acknowledges Louisiana's $75 million alternative housing grant from FEMA; seeks clarification on funding process


BATON ROUGE - Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco spoke with Federal Emergency Management Agency Director David Paulison Friday morning seeking clarification on the selection process that provided Louisiana with a disproportionate share of the "alternative housing pilot funding." Louisiana's Cypress Cottage Partners Project was selected to receive $74.5 million of an available $400 million to build so-called Katrina Cottages. 

"I am grateful for this award that will help provide housing for 600 Louisiana families affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita," Gov. Blanco told Paulison. "However, I am extremely disappointed that once again, the Republican Administration has left so many of our people out in the cold. This is not the first time this has happened to Louisiana when it comes to federal recovery dollars for Gulf Coast states. This unequal distribution is blatantly unfair. We will continue fighting for equity in housing for our state." 

The pilot program aims to expand the types of housing FEMA provides disaster-affected communities by identifying, developing and evaluating alternatives to FEMA travel trailers and mobile homes. This program will also provide housing to people with on-going housing needs due to the 2005 hurricanes in the Gulf Coast. The following project awards were announced by FEMA Friday:

*	Alabama, City of Bayou La Batre Project, up to $15,667,293.00 
*	Louisiana, Cypress Cottage Partners Project, up to $74,542,370.00 
*	Mississippi, Green Mobile Project, up to $5,890,882.00 
*	Mississippi, Park Model and Mississippi Cottage Project, up to $275,427,730.00 
*	Texas, Heston Group Project, up to $16,471,725.00
	

Louisiana's project is designed to develop housing in New Orleans in the Treme neighborhood, Jackson Barracks, Lake Charles, and Abbeville. This proposal offers two different alternatives - the Katrina Cottage (a single family manufactured home with a porch and options of two and three bedroom layouts), and the Carpet Cottage (a one story multifamily unit that offers one, two, and four bedroom layouts). 

"We have 75,000 Louisiana citizens still living in cramped FEMA trailers in FEMA villages," Gov. Blanco continued. "The federal government has forgotten that fact, but I have not."

Gov. Blanco pointed out this is the second time federal housing dollars have been allocated unfairly, and once again she plans to seek a proportional Congressional remedy to secure adequate, quality housing for Louisiana citizens. 

"It's the Republican Congress's parting shot at Louisiana's hard working families. Louisiana received $6.2 billion or 54 percent of the CDBG housing money while we had 75 to 80 percent of the damage. We had to go back and fight for more housing dollars then and we will do it again now." 

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The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation
Louisiana's Fund for Louisiana's People
www.louisianahelp.org