Special to the American Press

Registration for the next round of Louisiana Fortify Homes Program grants will open at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18, and close at 5 p.m. onFriday, Sept. 20. While previous grant rounds operated on a first-come, first-served basis, registration for this and future rounds will be conducted using a lottery system.

To participate in the lottery, homeowners must register during the three-day period in September. Homeowners who attempted to apply during a previous round of grants but were not selected will need to register for this round.

Once the lottery registration period closes, the LFHP will randomly select 300 participants from the pool of eligible registrants, and an additional 200 registrants will be placed on a waitlist for the same round. The LFHP will send an email notification to registrants who are selected to participate.

This round of grants is limited to residents of Louisiana’s Coastal Zone and of Lake Charles, Sulphur and Westlake. To see if your home is located in Louisiana’s Coastal Zone, click the following link and enter the address of the home you wish to fortify in the “Find address or place” field in the top-right corner of the page: Coastal Zone Map.

Those interested in the program are encouraged to review eligibility information and frequently asked questions at www.ldi.la.gov/fortifyhomes to determine whether their home meets the requirements for the program. Homeowners are required to create a profile in the LFHP system before registering for the lottery and may do so by visiting the LFHP website and clicking the Login button. Homeowners who previously created a profile may continue to use it.

If selected to participate in the grant program, homeowners will be financially responsible for having the home evaluated by a FORTIFIED-certified Evaluator as well as costs for the roof upgrade including permits, inspections and construction costs beyond the amount of the grant.

Eligibility & Grant Requirements:

• Homeowners applying for a grant should wait to see if they are selected to participate before contacting an Evaluator or Contractor as the process for selecting professionals is managed through the LFHP grant program. Homeowners who select a Contractor and begin work on the project before receiving approval from the LFHP are not eligible for the program.
• Homeowners selected to receive a grant will be responsible for paying evaluation fees for the entire evaluation process according to prices set by the Evaluator.
• Homeowners are only eligible for their primary residence and must verify they have a homestead exemption on the property during the application process.
• Homeowners must provide proof of an active residential insurance policy with wind coverage. If they live in a Special Flood Hazard Area as designated by FEMA, they must also provide proof of a flood insurance policy. Contact your agent if you are unsure whether you have these coverages.
• Homes must be in good repair as determined by a FORTIFIED Evaluator.
• New construction homes, condominiums and mobile homes are not eligible to participate in the program.
• Homes on a foundation constructed of unrestrained stacked masonry or stone (dry-stack foundation) are not eligible without an approved retrofit of the foundation.
• The completed project must meet the FORTIFIED Roof Standard for the grant to be issued. Grant funds are paid directly to contractors. Homeowners are financially responsible for all costs beyond the full grant amount. Grant funding is limited to construction costs.
• These and all other eligibility requirements and program details may be reviewed at www.ldi.la.gov/fortifyhomes.