Ascension Parish Receives Over $1 Million in Funding to Acquire Properties
Release Date: August 28, 2007
Release Number: 1603-694
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NEW ORLEANS, La. -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently approved funding to acquire five properties, including three severe repetitive loss properties, located in the cities of Prairieville, St. Amant and Gonzales.
"GOHSEP (Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness) applauds the parish on making the correct decision to acquire these properties and to reduce long-term flood risk. This project will help in the long-term reduction of flood vulnerability within the parish," said Casey Levy, State Hazard Mitigation officer.
The property owners have expressed an interest in selling their properties to the parish and have signed voluntary participation forms. The decision to buy damaged property is made by the local government and property owners, not FEMA. Once an acquisition project is approved by the state and FEMA, the community uses federal funds to purchase the home or building and the land is restricted to open space, recreation or wetlands in perpetuity. The local government becomes the new owner of the property.
"Acquisition of these properties is an effective way to move people and property away from high-risk areas and reduce disaster losses," said Jim Stark, FEMA's director of the Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office. "Returning these properties to open space effectively eliminates future outlay of funding by the National Flood Insurance Program."
FEMA obligated nearly $1.1 million to buy these five properties. When projects are obligated by FEMA through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, the funds are transferred to a Smartlink account. This allows the grantee, the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, to draw down the funds as quickly as possible. The state may require additional information from the subgrantee before disbursing the funds.
The HMGP provides grants to states and local governments to implement long-term hazard mitigation measures after a major disaster declaration, to reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters and to enable mitigation measures to be implemented during the immediate recovery from a disaster.
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
Last Modified: Thursday, 30-Aug-2007 10:34:37