STATE ACCEPTING PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ACTION PLAN AMENDMENT TO EXPAND RELOCATION ASSISTANCE ELIGIBILITY
Published 7:29 am Thursday, October 20, 2022
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The Louisiana Office of Community Development is accepting public comments on an action plan amendment to expand relocation assistance in the Louisiana Strategic Adaptations for Future Environments program to include several households located on Isle de Jean Charles.
The 14-day public comment period for APA 7 starts Wednesday, Oct. 19, and ends Tuesday, Nov. 1.
The action plan amendment and access to submit public comments are available on the OCD website at https://www.doa.la.gov/doa/
After accepting public comments, the state will submit the plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for final federal approval.
Background The original beneficiaries of the National Disaster Resilience Competition’s LASAFE relocation assistance program are low- to moderate-income households located outside of the Morganza to the Gulf Structural Protection System in Terrebonne Parish.
Last described in Action Plan Amendment 4, the relocation assistance program is available to eligible residents who are not part of the Isle de Jean Charles resettlement program, of which there are about seven.
After extensive outreach and communication with this population, none of the non-participant households wanted the relocation assistance. However, several of the island households who did not wish to participate in the resettlement program have since applied for and been determined eligible for participation.
Change This change will allow the newly participating island households located outside of the Morganza to the Gulf Structural Protection System to relocate to new homes on higher, safer ground at The New Isle resettlement site.
HUD considers NDR APA 7 substantial, as it involves a change in beneficiaries and benefits.
The formal public comment period for APA 7 begins today, Oct. 19, and continues until 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 1.
Residents, community leaders and elected officials can view and comment on the plan by clicking here and selecting the respective APA link.
