BATON ROUGE - The U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has approved Louisiana's spending intend for $200 million in community development block grants for long-term recovery the state announced today.
Under the Louisiana Recovery Authority's Long-Term Community Recovery Program grants will be given to 23 parishes hit hardest by the hurricanes. Grants are at least $150,000 each. Orleans Parish will receive $117 million said Pat Forbes infrastructure manager for the Louisiana Office of Community Development’s Disaster Recovery Unit.
LCRP funds must be spent on disaster-related projects. Forbes said. Parishes can use LCRP funds for expenses the Federal Emergency Management Agency doesn’t adjoin he said.
The funding is part of $10.4 billion in block grants that Congress allocated to Louisiana after the hurricanes for housing economic development and infrastructure projects.
Funds will be distributed to parishes according to a formula based on estimated housing and infrastructure damages caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. LRA's board of directors and local officials approved the formula earlier this year.
"As we continue to pave the road to recovery these much-needed funds will help local parishes and municipalities implement recovery projects that will ultimately alter our communities safer and stronger than they were before," said John Landry. LRA Infrastructure and Transportation Task Force head.
Suzie Elkins executive director of the Office of Community Development said the funds are not nearly enough to cater all recovery needs.
Still the funds "ordain help communities begin to fund local high priority recovery projects," she said. "We acknowledge HUD's working with us to gain approval of this program so the state can continue to act forward in its rebuilding efforts."
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