[StBernard] LRA Vice Chair Applauds Congress for Action to Provide an HMGP Fix for the Road Home

[Westley Annis]

LRA Vice Chair Applauds Congress for Action to Provide an HMGP Fix for the Road Home

BATON ROUGE, La. (August 1, 2007) - Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) Vice Chairman Walter Isaacson issued the following statement today in response to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs' unanimous vote in favor of Senator Landrieu's Streamlining Mitigation Actions and Recovery Tools and Regional Evacuation and Sheltering Planning of Overarching Networks for Severe Emergencies (SMART RESPONSE) Act that includes provisions that will allow Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds to be used for home elevations and other safety measures consistent with the Road Home program.

"Today the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs took an important step toward cutting significant parts of the red tape that have kept Louisiana from being able to effectively utilize nearly $1.2 billion in hazard mitigation funds for the Road Home program. We thank the ! Committee Chair Senator Lieberman and Ranking Member Senator Collins, and we applaud Senator Landrieu in particular for her leadership on this issue, as Louisiana homeowners are counting on these funds for elevations and other mitigation measures that will help to rebuild our communities safer and stronger." 

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated South Louisiana, claiming 1,464 lives, destroying more than 200,000 homes and 18,000 businesses. The Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) is the planning and coordinating body that was created in the aftermath of these storms by Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco to lead one of the most extensive rebuilding efforts in the world. The LRA is a 33-member body which is coordinating across jurisdictions, supporting community recovery and resurgence, ensuring integrity and effectiveness, and planning for the recovery and rebuilding of Louisiana. 




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