State seeks comment on Francine recovery rules

From the Louisiana Division of Administration

The Louisiana Office of Community Development-Disaster Recovery is accepting public comments on an action plan amendment (APA) that sets an income cap on the state’s Hurricane Francine recovery programs as required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The public comment period begins today and ends at 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26, 2025.

APA 1 amends the Hurricane Francine Master Action Plan to set an income cap on eligibility for households earning up to 300% of the area median income for the Restore Louisiana Homeowner Program. APA 1 also uses the interchangeability of funds provision authorized by Congress, which allows states to use disaster funds interchangeably and without limitation for the same activities when addressing unmet recovery needs in the most impacted and distressed areas resulting from any major disaster.

The purpose of the program-level income cap requirement is to provide transparency about eligibility for direct-benefit assistance; prevent misinterpretation of eligibility; and reinforce the difference between federal grant compliance and state program requirements.

Direct-benefit activities are those where the individual beneficiary applies for and receives specific assistance, such as housing rehabilitation, homebuyer assistance, relocation payments or direct financial assistance to businesses.

HUD considers APA 1 substantial because it results in a change in eligibility criteria.

Background: In the Hurricane Francine Master Action Plan, the Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program did not set a cap on income. The Master Action Plan stated that those qualifying under the low and moderate-income national objective, which is defined by HUD as households earning no more than 80% of the area median income (AMI), will be prioritized, with very low-income households earning less than 50% AMI receiving the highest priority. HUD’s Office of Disaster Recovery, Policy Division made the determination that the federal Universal Notice, 90 FR 1754, requires grantees to establish and disclose a specific maximum income cap for each program that provides direct-benefit activities.

A copy of the plan is available on our website or by calling 225.219.9600.

Members of the public can submit comments several ways:

--Emailing them to ocd@la.gov;
--Mailing them to Disaster Recovery Unit, P.O. Box 94095, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9095, Attn: Janice Lovett; or
--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 amendment to HUD for approval.