$195 Million to Repair and Rehabilitate Homes

The Louisiana Housing Finance Agency (LHFA), Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) and its permanent housing task force are working closely to develop a comprehensive statewide housing plan to address the challenges and needs presented by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

LHFA will implement 3 programs assisting with repair and rehabilitation of owner occupied homes and help with restoring the rental housing stock devastated by the storms. The programs will be offered to individuals from “core affected areas” providing second mortgages up to $150,000 at below market rates and refinancing opportunities up to Internal Revenue Service limits with qualifying income limits driven by your Area Median Income (AMI). LHFA staff is working diligently with key partners to put these programs in place for expedient release of funds.

Related Links:

• Governor Blanco's Website www.gov.Louisiana.gov/
• Executive Orders http://www.gov/lhfa.state.la.us/executiveorders//
• Housing Finance Authority Announcement http://www.gov/lhfa.state.la.us/index.cfm?md=newsroom&tmp=detail&articleID=1422
• Louisiana Recovery Authority Website http://www.lra.louisiana.gov

Treasury and IRS Expand Availability of Housing for Hurricane Victims

WASHINGTON, DC- The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) today announced that they will waive rules that prohibit owners of low-income housing from providing housing to victims of Hurricane Katrina who do not qualify as low-income. The action will expand the availability of housing for disaster victims and their families.

Because of the widespread devastation to housing caused by Hurricane Katrina, the Treasury Department and the IRS will temporarily suspend income limitation requirements and non-transient requirements for qualified low-income housing projects located anywhere in the United States.

"The widespread damage caused by the hurricane left many thousands of Americans homeless," stated Treasury Secretary John W. Snow. "We hope that providing this disaster relief will allow states to temporarily house many of the needy whose homes were destroyed."

FEMA aid application deadline is March 11, 2006

Residents of Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Alabama who had damage from Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita have more time to apply for federal disaster assistance.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Tuesday that the deadline to apply for aid has been extended to March 11.

Applicants can call (800)621-3362. Hearing or speech-impaired individuals may register by calling (800) 462-7585 or online at www.fema.gov to register.

More than 2.5 million requests for disaster assistance have been filed from the storms so far, FEMA said.

• www.hurricanehousing.net
• www.dhronline.org
• www.katrinahousing.org
• www.naahq.org
• www.hud.gov/offices/pih/publications/katrinaguidefam.cfm
• www.hud.gov/offices/pih/publications/katrinaguideres.cfm
• www.hud.gov/offices/pih/publications/katrinatempvchrverform.pdf
• www.hud.gov/news/release.cfm?content=pr05-118.cfm
• relief.welcomewagon.com/?lnksrc=RDC_hp_reliefww
• www.realtor.com



• American Red Cross
• FEMA

• Community Action Provider List