BATON ROUGE  Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards released registration information for the Shelter at Home Program, a new program that will allow Louisiana residents whose homes flooded to shelter at their own home while they continue to rebuild, rather than relocating to a shelter, hotel or rental property.

Beginning at 7 am today, residents who are eligible for the program should register using one of the following methods:

The Shelter at Home Program evaluates each applicant’s home and, if up to $15,000 of work in that home can create a safe, secure, habitable place for the family to live while they continue their permanent home rebuilding, then that applicant may be eligible for this program.  This program is not designed to fully repair the applicant's home

To be eligible, the property must be single-family and owner-occupied and have up to $15,000 in repairs that will allow residents to quickly and safely shelter in their own home. Only properties that meet these criteria are eligible to participate in the program.

Anyone in this program must apply individually (separately from registering with FEMA or SBA or filing a flood insurance claim with NFIP). Applications should be made to the website or phone number listed above.

Shelter at Home teams will complete tasks such as:

  • Taking temporary actions to weatherproof the home and prevent water intrusion; repairs could be temporary patches
  • Patching (minor and quick repairs), door hardware replacement, and replacement/repair of door jambs and headers as necessary for secure entry and exit
  • Securing broken windows with minor carpentry or hardware repairs
  • Repairing damaged front stairs or porches to allow safe entrance and exit
  • Ensuring that plumbing is connected to a sanitary sewer or approved sewerage disposal system
  • Ensuring that potable water is available and operational
  • Inspection and testing of electrical, HVAC, and plumbing systems to ensure they are in safe working order
  • Removing drywall, insulation and other water-absorbing wall coverings (excluding fire-rated walls) damaged by flooding
  • Removing flood-damaged water-absorbing flooring material including carpet, carpet padding, and other materials.
  • Removing debris to the street right-of-way
  • Cleaning and sanitizing exposed floor and wall surfaces where flooring or wall coverings were removed
  • Ensuring there is one (1) temporary working bathroom in the home, which could include cleaning or fixing a bathtub/shower, toilet and sink
  • Maintaining heating and minimum air conditioning for comfort
  • Repairing or replacing damaged water heaters
  • Inspecting and repairing natural gas lines if necessary
  • Testing and repairing or replacing/installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
  • Providing mini-refrigerators and microwaves as necessary (The total appliance allowance will be $500 where needed.)

Additional information on the Shelter at Home Program is available by clicking here.

If a homeowner is not eligible for the Shelter at Home Program, there are other options available, including the:

  • Manufactured Housing Units (MHUs) program: FEMA will provide mobile homes for up to 18 months to eligible applicants. Unlike the old FEMA trailers, these mobile homes are built according to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development standards.
  • Multi-Family Lease and Repair Program (MFLRP): In this program, FEMA identifies larger scale rental property currently not on the market where the property owner, with some financial assistance from FEMA, can make the property ready to rent within two months. The property owner agrees to make these rentals available to eligible FEMA applicants.
  • Transitional Shelter Assistance (TSA): A temporary program for survivors displaced from their primary residence that allows eligible disaster survivors to select from a list of partner hotel rooms.
  • Access to available rental property listed on www.lahousingsearch.org.

All resources available to impacted families in Louisiana from the recent severe flooding is available at gov.la.gov/laflood.

Last week, the State of Louisiana issued a Request for Expressed Interest for Project Managers for the Shelter at Home Program.  Of the bids submitted, the state selected AECOM to administer the program under guidelines recently established by FEMA for eligible victims of the August 2016 Flood.   AECOM will develop policies and procedures, provide outreach and communication services, receive and process program applications, determine applicant and dwelling eligibility, and manage the contractors performing the SAH measures.

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