The first step in delivering well overdue long-term federal disaster recovery funding to Southwest Louisiana communities impacted by Hurricanes Laura and Delta has begun with the launch of a survey Tuesday.

The Louisiana Office of Community Development on Tuesday opened the Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program survey for residents impacted by the 2020 storms.

Gov. John Bel Edwards released a statement, urging impacted homeowners to fill out the survey and provide a clearer picture of the ongoing unmet needs in the region.

The governor stressed the importance of making the survey available well ahead of $600 million in federal Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funding being distributed to areas impacted by Hurricanes Laura and Delta. Elected officials spent more than a year after Hurricane Laura’s August 2020 landfall begging for federal relief to aid in long-term disaster recovery.

“(This) allows homeowners to take the first step toward registering for program assistance, so we can begin implementing programs immediately upon receiving access to the federal funds for disaster recovery programs,” he said.

The survey comes one day after the Department of Housing and Urban Development released the Federal Register Notice, which sets the rules on how Louisiana and other states can spend disaster recovery funding. Before the CDBG-DR funding can be distributed, HUD has to approve an action plan created by the state that outlines how the money plans to be spent. The action plan, which has already been drafted, will be published and public input will be sought.

Residents impacted by other disasters in 2020 and 2021 are encouraged to fill out the survey, Edwards said. Homeowners have adequate time to take part in the survey, he said.

To fill out a free Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program survey, visit restore. la.gov, or call 866-735- 2001 for more assistance.

The survey should take roughly 15 minutes to fill out, and homeowners should have their FEMA registration number upon completing the survey. Homeowners should avoid paying a third party to complete the survey or sharing any personal information with another party.

Once the official program’s expected launch in late spring, qualified homeowners will submit a full application with additional documents.

To find out about whether a home sustained severe damage from Hurricanes Laura or Delta, or to appeal a FEMA ruling on property damage from the storms, call 800-621-3362 or visit fema.gov/assistance/individual/after-applying/ appeals.