Louisiana Governor John Edwards worked with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Louisiana Housing Corp. to launch a new initiative to help victims from the state’s 2016 floods.
The Louisiana Housing Heroes Initiative will launch Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the Louisiana Housing Corp. This statewide initiative will look to increase affordable rental housing capacity after last year’s unprecedented flooding in the state.
The initiative will consist of an outreach campaign to landlords and property owners in the areas affected by flooding to target viable housing units. Louisiana Housing Heroes will allow immediate access to properties ready for occupancy.
“I am asking all owners and managers of rental housing to help our citizens who were displaced by the severe flooding last year by working with us in dedicating available rental housing to help the families and individuals who are still in need,” Edwards said.
“Owners and managers are the state's greatest asset to ensure everyone needing an affordable rental unit has a safe home,” he said. “The request is to let us know if you will commit to the Louisiana Housing Heroes.”
This initiative will help identify housing units that are immediately available as well as those within a short window of availability.
This isn’t the first time that Louisiana’s victims received emergency support for housing. In October, [now former] HUD Secretary Julián Castro awarded $500 million to Louisiana, Texas and West Virginia to help the states recover from the flooding events.
And just last month, President Donald Trump issued a disaster declaration for the Louisiana tornado victims, allowing HUD to offer foreclosure and other assistance to some families in the Livingston and Orleans parishes.
