Low Income Housing Gets Boost With FEMA Funding
Release Date: April 19, 2007
Release Number: 1603-627
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NEW ORLEANS, La. -- In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, many low-income housing facilities were destroyed, leaving many citizens of New Orleans without a place to live. Recent funds obligated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will soon be on their way to four such facilities – Carriage House, Gaslight Square, River Road and Timber Ridge apartments.
When projects are obligated by FEMA, the funds are transferred to a Smartlink account. This allows the state to work with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness as quickly as possible to access the monies and distribute them to the local applicants. The state may require additional documentation from the applicant before disbursals are made.
“The New Orleans area has suffered a lack of affordable housing since Katrina. Much work still remains on these facilities, with over 50 different projects among them; however, with this latest round of funds, the road to recovery is being paved,” said Jim Stark, FEMA director of the Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office.
Carriage House Apartments, located on Curran Boulevard, sustained extensive wind damage from the storm, which tore off large sections of the roof of many of its buildings. A total of 12 buildings were affected by the hurricane, many of them qualifying for total replacement because the damages were so severe.
Built in the 1980s, Carriage House consists of nearly 220 units and includes two laundry rooms, a mail center and an office building. The facility was inundated with over six feet of water after the storm, causing damage to both the exteriors and interiors of the buildings. FEMA funds – totaling $24.6 million – will reimburse for work that includes new roofs, windows, doors and stairs, as well as inside furnishings such as cabinets, carpet and floor tiles.
The Gaslight Square Apartments, located less than two miles from Carriage House, is a 270-unit complex comprised of 30 two-story buildings. The wind and rain from Hurricane Katrina caused extensive structural damage to the facility, including all roofs, siding and windows. FEMA-obligated funds totaling over $52.2 million will reimburse for work that includes, in many cases, brand new buildings.
Two additional apartment buildings will also be helped with this recent round of funds. River Road Apartments, located in St. Rose, and Timber Ridge Apartments in New Orleans, are both private non-profit facilities that needed assistance after Hurricane Katrina. River Road, consisting of over 320 units, will be reimbursed for work on nearly 40 separate buildings, while the Timber Ridge complex will use their funds for reimbursement for debris removal, new fencing and various interior repairs to the 11 buildings on their site.
The Public Assistance program works with state and local officials to fund recovery measures and the rebuilding of government and certain private nonprofit organizations’ buildings and recreation centers, as well as roads, bridges and water and sewer plants. In order for the process to be successful, federal, state and local partners coordinate to draw up project plans, fund these projects and oversee their completion.
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, 19-Apr-2007 13:29:22