LAPLACE, LA – August 3, 2009 – (RealEstateRama) — Governor Bobby Jindal awarded three grants totaling $8,748,292 to St. John the Baptist Parish that will go towards hurricane recovery efforts, hazard mitigation and infrastructure improvements. Governor Jindal awarded the funds to local officials in a ceremonial check presentation during an address to the River Region Chamber of Commerce as part of his “Louisiana Working Tour.”
The three grants awarded include a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) totaling $6,984,655, Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding totaling $1,576,837 and one Local Government Assistance Program (LGAP) grant totaling $186,800.
Governor Jindal said, “After Gustav and Ike struck, we rejected the idea of creating yet another process filled with bureaucracy to distribute hurricane recovery funds. Indeed, we’re helping to expedite the rebuilding process by distributing funds to parishes so that officials on the ground can make their own decisions about how best to rebuild and prepare for future storms.”
Upon awarding the LGAP funding, Governor Jindal said, “LGAP funds are awarded through a competitive process and they give communities the ability to make long-term infrastructure improvements.”
Community Development Block Grant
The Governor said St. John the Baptist Parish received $6,984,655 in federal Community Development Block Grant (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.
Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
Governor Jindal said the parish received $1,576,837 in Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding to support local hazard mitigation projects to protect St. John the Baptist 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.
LGAP Funding
Governor Jindal awarded St. John the Baptist Parish an $186,800 grant to be used to construct a water intake structure.
LGAP is managed by the Office of Community Development through Division of Administration and provides funding to local governments for a variety of needed infrastructure projects and long-term capital improvements in rural areas. The program is designed to fill the gaps where there are no federal or other state funds available to assist local governments with their high priority needs. Priority is given to those projects which identify and resolve basic human health, safety needs or quality of life concerns of citizens
