Per Restore Program requirements, all properties must be determined by FEMA to have major/severe damage.
Based on your survey responses, we are contacting you to let you know that your file did not phase for prioritization of funding because the FEMA inspection was not completed on your property.
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By Murray Wennerlund published 10-24-2022 updated 10-25-2022
Make a contribution Print Restore LA Office of Community Development Disaster Recovery Unit (OCD-DRU) Hurricanes and tropical storms 407 views

From: egrants@restore.la.gov <egrants@restore.la.gov>
Sent: Monday, October 24, 2022 11:53:15 AM
To: [HOMEOWNERS]
Subject: S-Update: No Phase FEMA No Inspection

 Dear Homeowner:

Thank you for completing the Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program survey. Based on your survey responses, we are contacting you to let you know that your file did not phase for prioritization of funding because the FEMA inspection was not completed on your property. Per Restore Program requirements, all properties must be determined by FEMA to have major/severe damage.

You are encouraged to contact FEMA to check on the status of your inspection by calling 1-800-621-3362. If your FEMA award has been updated since January 2022, please call our call center at (866) 735-2001 and be prepared to send copies of your updated FEMA award to info@restore-la.org

For more information about the program’s guidelines, see more information here .

If you have any questions about the program, please visit to info@restore-la.org, email to info@restore-la.org, or call 866-735-2001 for more information. Thank you,

The Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program

NOTE: The Restore Louisiana Homeowners Assistance Program started back in 2016 after the March and August floods. If you attended the meetings you would have heard what I heard and that was more political lobbying for limited funds before the state even addressed the low to moderate income households that needed the assistance the most. 

Now that you have your first negative letter that doesn't explain your right to appeal their determination that if you didn't get an inspection from FEMA you can not be added to a phase. This email may actually be designed to make you think about giving up on grants and just paying out of pocket to get your home repaired. 

I want to ask you to reduce you debt burden and think long term recovery. From the time flood victims applied to the time they received grant funds we all saw 2 to 3 years of waiting and letters going out every 6 months terminating grants. We know the Governor placed a cap on the total households he was willing to assist after his personal reimbursement (Solution 3) program had paid out. 

You'll now be faced with a couple of things to do if you value your money and need assistance with your recovery from the disaster. First, call FEMA as they suggested and ask for an arm chair inspection. During the pandemic FEMA as well as the SBA were allowing you to send pictures and descriptions as well as quotes and estimates from just about anyone that could put together numbers for your damage repairs. 

So here's what you need to do and what I need from you to help you further. 

First, identify what disaster you are claiming and if your in one of the listed parishes. 

  • Louisiana Hurricane Laura
    • FEMA DR-4559-LA
    • Filing date for damage inspection is now closed
    • Declared disaster date August 28, 2020
    • Damage determination appeal closing date November 26, 2020
    • Allocation for unmet needs under the Feb 3, 2022 Notice from Public Law 117-43 $521,853,000 (shared with DR-4570)
    • CDBG-DR mitigation set-aside amounts under the Feb 3, 2022 notice from Public Law 117-43 $78,278,000 (shared with DR-4570)
    • Allocation for unmet needs under this notice May 31, 2022 from Public Law 117-43 $391,423,000 (shared with DR-4570)
    • CDBG-DR mitigation set-aside amounts under the May 31, 2022 notice from Public Law 117-43 $58,713,000 (shared with DR-4570)
    • Total allocated under all notices from Public Law 117-43 $1,050,267,000 (shared with DR-4570)
  • Louisiana Hurricane Delta
    • FEMA DR-4570-LA
    • Filing for damage inspection closed
    • Declared disaster date October 16, 2020 
    • Damage determination appeal closing date January 14, 2021
    • Allocation for unmet needs under the Feb 3, 2022 Notice from Public Law 117-43 $521,853,000 (shared with DR-4559)
    • CDBG-DR mitigation set-aside amounts under the Feb 3, 2022 notice from Public Law 117-43 $78,278,000 (shared with DR-4559)
    • Allocation for unmet needs under this notice May 31, 2022 from Public Law 117-43 $391,423,000 (shared with DR-4559)
    • CDBG-DR mitigation set-aside amounts under the May 31, 2022 notice from Public Law 117-43 $58,713,000 (shared with DR-4559)
    • Total allocated under all notices from Public Law 117-43 $1,050,267,000 (shared with DR-4559)
  • Louisiana Severe Winter Storms
    • FEMA DR-4590-LA
    • Filing for damage inspection closed
    • Declared disaster date March 9, 2021
    • Damage determination appeal closing date June 7, 2021
  • Louisiana Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
    • FEMA DR-4606-LA
    • Filing for damage inspection closed
    • Declared disaster date June 2, 2021
    • Damage determination appeal closing date August 31, 2021
  • Louisiana Hurricane Ida
    • FEMA DR-4611-LA
    • Filing for damage inspection closed
    • Declared disaster date August 29, 2021
    • Damage determination appeal closing date November 27, 2021

For the 2021 storms 4590, 4606, 4611 your allocations are as follows: 

  • Lake Charles $10,776,000 (exclusive)
  • Baton Rouge $4,648,000 (exclusive)
  • State of Louisiana (all impacted areas) $1,272,346,000

FEMA requests that appeals be made within 30 days but you can actually appeal up to 90 dates from the date on your damage inspection report. If you don't know if your home was inspected you can contact your parish zoning and planning people or call FEMA and ask that your damage report be mailed to you if they have it on file.

The Restore program actually delayed processing the funding that was allocated to the state back in 2020 and 2021. The state typically delays offering grants for at least 12 months and often asks for extensions to 18 months. These extensions are actually delays which allow more people to finish their repairs with out of pocket funds which then allows the state to reallocate funds promised to homeowners to other programs that do not serve homeowners. 

I'll take up from this line and offer you the states Amendment 1 view of the FEMA inspection numbers. 

"Per Restore Program requirements, all properties must be determined by FEMA to have major/severe damage."

"To consider the comprehensive housing needs of those parishes will require looking beyond the total number of FEMA registrants or damage."

(Updates coming in 1 business day)

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