| Baton Rouge: The Louisiana Recovery Authority and the state Office of Community Development are accepting public comment on the third amendment to Louisiana's plans for spending its allocation of federal funds for recovery from hurricanes Gustav and Ike.
The LRA's board of directors last month approved the plan to be published for its federally required public comment period. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has allocated $1 billion in Community Development Block Grant funds to Louisiana for Gustav and Ike recovery. To use federal CDBG funds, states must present action plans for federal approval.
Action Plan Amendment No. 3 details $112 million of programs dedicated to unmet recovery needs. These allocations include:
Municipalities Infrastructure Program -- $30 million; First Responders Interoperable Communications -- $22 million; Economic Revitalization -- $40 million; Fisheries Industry Modernization -- $5 million; Pilot Comprehensive Resiliency Program -- $10 million; Nonprofit Homeowner Rehab Program -- $5 million.
Louisiana's overall plan allocated $565 million directly to parishes for recovery projects, with the remaining funds divided among HUD-required affordable housing initiatives and other state-administered programs. The state will detail uses for the final $100 million, based on remaining unmet needs, in a future amendment.
Citizens, community leaders and elected officials can access the plans and submit comments online by visiting http://www.doa.louisiana.gov/cdbg/dractionplans.htm and opening "Action Plan Amendment 3 to the Action Plan for the Utilization of CDBG Funds in Response to Hurricanes Gustav and Ike." A copy of the plans can be requested by calling (225) 219-6900. Public comment will remain open until the close of business on October 15.
The public can submit comments several ways:
Using the online form at http://www.doa.louisia na.gov/cdbg/dractionplans.htm; Emailing them to ocd@la.gov; Mailing them to Disaster Recovery Unit, P.O. Box 94095, 70804-9095, Attn: Paul Catrou; Faxing them to the attention of Paul Catrou at (225) 219-9605.
Created in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) is the coordinating and planning body leading the most extensive rebuilding effort in American history. The central point for hurricane recovery in Louisiana, the LRA works closely with the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) and partners with state and federal agencies to oversee more than $20 billion worth of programs, speed the pace of rebuilding, remove hurdles and red tape and ensure that Louisiana recovers safer and stronger than before.
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