East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana, Awarded $3.8M in Recovery Grants

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal awarded six grants totaling $3,862,223 to East Feliciana Parish that will go towards hurricane recovery efforts, hazard mitigation and infrastructure improvements.

The six grants awarded include a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) totaling $3,011,480, Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding totaling $713,888 and four Local Government Assistance Program (LGAP) grants totaling $136,855.

East Feliciana Parish received $3,011,480 in federal CDBG funds to aid the recovery efforts from hurricanes Gustav and Ike, which caused widespread housing and infrastructure damage last year.

Damage levels were determined for each parish based on HUD analysis of FEMA damage assessments. To use federal CDBG funds, states must present action plans for federal approval. HUD already approved Louisiana’s first action plan for using these funds.

The parish received $713,888 in HMGP funding to support local hazard mitigation projects to protect East Feliciana from future damage following Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

Unlike HMGP funds given to Louisiana after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, this HMGP funding comes with a requirement for local and state governments to pay matching costs, meaning the federal government pays 75 percent of the costs, with local or state government required to pay for 25 percent of the cost of the projects.

Louisiana has repeatedly requested that federal government waive or lower the state and local match requirement, given the scope of the destruction wrought by four storms in three years.

• The Governor awarded the following four LGAP grants totaling $136,855:
  The East Feliciana Parish Police Jury received a $76,855 grant to purchase equipment such as a bull dozer, generator, fuel tank and fork lift.

• The Town of Slaughter received a $20,000 grant to purchase equipment for the maintenance department.
• The Village of Norwood received a $20,000 grant to refurbish a maintenance building.
• The Village of Wilson received a $20,000 grant to purchase and install new fire hydrants and connect new residents to the water main.

Source: Louisiana Governor’s Office, www.gov.state.la.us