[StBernard] Homeland Security Committee Passes Landrieu Bill to Move HMGP Money to Road Home

[Westley Annis]

Homeland Security Committee Passes Landrieu Bill to Move HMGP Money to Road
Home

 

WASHINGTON - The Senate Homeland Security Committee today unanimously voted
for a bill authored by Disaster Recovery Subcommittee Chairman Senator Mary
L. Landrieu, D-La., that will allow Louisiana to use $1.17 billion in hazard
mitigation money (HMGP) for the Road Home program. The Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) has not allowed the state to use this already
appropriated money for Louisiana's housing program, which has a shortfall
projected at about $5 billion. 

 

 "Today the Homeland Security Committee recognized the scope of the 2005
hurricanes and supported my commonsense bill to reduce the Road Home
program's shortfall by $1.17 billion and fast-track money to hurricane
victims," Sen. Landrieu said. "This bill will speed up our recovery by
allowing previously appropriated money to be used to rebuild the more than
200,000 Louisiana homes that were destroyed by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita."

 

   Homes that were more than 50 percent damaged by flooding are required to
elevate their homes, which affects 36 percent of Orleans Parish Road Home
applicants. Recognizing that home elevation and other disaster mitigation
steps are key elements of rebuilding, Louisiana designated $1.17 in HMGP
disaster mitigation funds to be combined with the Road Home program. But
FEMA blocked this combination because the program reduced grants for people
who left the state and exempts senior citizens from this penalty, a policy
that FEMA calls discriminatory. 

 

In addition to directing FEMA to allow the HMGP money to be used for Road
Home, Sen. Landrieu's bill also streamlines the process for HMGP funds by
expediting the review process for homeowners and reimbursing homeowners who
have already begun elevation work.  

 

The bill also directs FEMA to coordinate state and local evacuation plans
and create a National Sheltering Database.

 

"Hurricanes Katrina and Rita was a catastrophic disaster that involved
multiple states," Sen. Landrieu said. "We need coordinated evacuation plans
at the regional level so that the next time a disaster strikes, be it
natural or manmade, we can evacuate people quickly, efficiently and safely."

 

The Homeland Security Committee also voted for an amendment to the bill
sponsored by Sens. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., and Landrieu that gives FEMA the
authority to waive additional HMGP program requirements at Louisiana's
request, adding flexibility to HMGP money. The amendment also authorizes
FEMA to give homeowners mitigation money up front.

 

The two flexibility waivers provided by the Colemen-Landrieu amendment are
in addition to five flexibility provisions already included in the original
bill, and were also unanimously agreed to following late-night negotiations
led by Sen. Landrieu.

 

"I thank Senator Coleman for working with me on this amendment to add
additional flexibility to the HMGP money that has been appropriated for
Louisiana so disaster victims can get their well deserved recovery money
more quickly," Sen. Landrieu said. 

 

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