[StBernard] The Road Home Program Email Update

[Westley Annis]

Thank you for signing up to receive regular emails from The Road Home program. Twice per month you will receive: 


*	Program updates, clarifications, and reminders
*	A "progress report" that shows the number of people who have applied and the average amount of the benefits awarded
*	Tips or resources
*	Program contact information
	

Program Clarification: Eligibility

We recently talked to groups of homeowners and heard some confusion about who is eligible for the program. To be eligible: 


*	You must have owned and occupied the home as your main residence at the time of Hurricane Katrina or Rita.
*	Your home must be a single- or double-unit structure (including duplexes where the owner lives in one of the units).
*	Your property must have sustained at least $5,200 in damage from hurricanes Katrina or Rita.
*	Homeowners who were uninsured but should have carried insurance (for example, those who lived in a flood plain but did not have flood insurance) are eligible, but they will incur a 30 percent penalty.
	

For answers to many other questions about how calculations are made, what types of awards are available, application questions, etc., please visit our Frequently Asked Questions 

<http://www.road2la.org/about-us/faqs.htm>  (last updated on January 16).

Program Reminder: Call to Schedule an Appointment

If you have applied to the program but have not yet called to schedule your first appointment with a housing advisor, call today! You can schedule your appointment at any one of the 11 Housing Assistance Centers located around Louisiana (and one in Texas) <http://www.road2la.org/contact-info.htm> . 

Even if you're not sure what you're going to do with your home or where you're going to live, you do not have to make a decision until after you receive your award letter. The important thing is to call now to schedule an appointment. The number to call is 1.888.ROAD.2.LA (1.888.762.3252) or TTY: use 711 relay or 1.800.846.5277 (TTY) / 1.800.947.5277 (V).

Program Progress Report as of January 22, 2007


*	The Road Home has received 101,657 applications.
*	The average benefit calculated is $82,581.
	

Tips/Resources

Rebuilding tips, including information on how to elevate your home and build an energy-efficient home, are located on The Road Home Web site <http://www.road2la.org/Helpful-Tools/default.htm> .

<http://www.road2la.org/default.htm> 

If you have any questions about The Road Home, or would like to check on the status of your application, call 1.888.ROAD.2.LA (1.888.762.3252) or TTY callers use 711 relay or 1.800.846.5277.

- The Road Home

The Road Home program is designed to help residents of Louisiana affected by Hurricane Katrina or Rita get back into their homes as quickly and fairly as possible. This groundbreaking program represents the largest single housing recovery program in U.S. history. Working together, Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, the Louisiana Recovery Authority and the Office of Community Development created The Road Home program with the approval of the Louisiana Legislature. The program affords eligible homeowners up to $150,000 in compensation for their losses to get back into their homes.

To start your application to The Road Home program, visit
www.road2la.org <http://www.road2la.org> 
or call 
1.888.ROAD.2.LA (1.888.762.3252).
TTY callers use 711 relay or 1.800.846.5277.