Public can comment on plans for Francine recovery funds

The Louisiana Office of Community Development is accepting public comments on an Action Plan to spend $117,946,000 in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funding received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for recovery from Hurricane Francine.
The formal 30-day public comment period began Wednesday and ends at 5 p.m. April 4.
In addition, the department will hold two virtual public hearings on the plan, where residents may learn more, ask questions and provide comments. Register for these events at restore.la.gov/events.
--3:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 18: Public hearing 1
--6 p.m. Monday, March 24: Public hearing 2
SUMMARY The Hurricane Francine Action Plan proposes to expend $95,309,914 on housing unmet needs and $15,384,000 on mitigation unmet needs in the most distressed and impacted areas. The funds address recovery needs not covered by other eligible sources, primarily for low- to moderate-income individuals located in the MID areas.
The following parishes are identified as Francine’s MID areas: Ascension; Assumption; Jefferson; Lafourche; St. Charles; St. James; St. John the Baptist; St. Mary; and Terrebonne.
In 2024, Hurricane Francine struck the state of Louisiana, causing widespread devastation. This powerful storm brought flooding, damaging winds and storm surges that overwhelmed infrastructure, caused multiple power outages and left lasting impacts on housing, public facilities and local economies.
The disaster compounded pre-existing vulnerabilities in many communities, particularly those with limited resources and access to recovery support. This Action Plan outlines Louisiana’s proposed recovery and mitigation efforts, using Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds to recover from the disaster’s impacts and build resilience to future events.
The recovery programs described in this Action Plan prioritize resilience, focusing on addressing the unmet needs of vulnerable populations and implementing mitigation measures to reduce risk. By integrating long-term planning and innovative approaches into the recovery process, Louisiana aims to ensure a more sustainable and resilient recovery for all affected communities, the department said.
A copy of the plan is available at doa.la.gov/doa/ocd/policy-and-reports/apa/ or by calling 225-219-9600.
Members of the public can submit comments by:
--Emailing them to ocd@la.gov;
--Mailing them to Disaster Recovery Unit, P.O. Box 94095, Baton Rouge LA 70804-9095, Attn: Janice Lovett.
--Faxing them to the attention of Janice Lovett at 225-219-9605
At the end of the official public comment period, the state will submit the action plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for approval.