Funding available to repair, reconstruct, rent – and in rural parishes build new – affordable housing was the focus of two workshops held in Lake Charles Wednesday.

Louisiana Housing Corporation hosted the Rental Restoration and Development Program workshops for local developers, residential rental property owners, nonprofits and public housing agencies to tell them about forgivable loan dollars for those who qualify.

LHC, partnering with the Office of Community Development, announced the $32 million Community Development Block Grant Restoration and Development Program award last month. Calcasieu Parish qualifies for both the hurricane funding and flood funding. Rural parishes in Southwest Louisiana are favored for for-profit new construction. Calcasieu Parish qualifies for new nonprofit builds,  reconstruction and rehab dollars, according to Raymond Rodriques, Jr. with LHC.

“This is the first time in our history of offering these programs that we have been allowed to open up to new construction for for-profit entities and housing authorities,” he said.

Qualified LHC RRDP projects must be seven or fewer residential housing units within a single structure; be site-built, or modular homes; complete an environmental review; and be made available at affordable rents for households at or below 80 percent of the area median income for a certain period of time. Housing units must have been vacated by February 27, 2023 to protect tenants. To be eligible for this program, residents must either have their own financial resources for construction or be able to obtain a construction loan from a private lender. Funding will be provided after the work is complete and tenants have moved in.

Calcasieu Parish Human Services Department representatives saw the workshops as an opportunity to tell landlords about how they could benefit from its housing programs.

“Many of you know that there is a housing crisis, not just here but across the United States. “We are in desperate need of landlords for some of our subsidized housing programs,” said Tarek Polite, CPPJ Director of Human Services.   

Nicole Miller, CPPJ Program Manager for Disaster Housing Recovery,  explained how the Emergency Rental Assistance Program can help landlords by paying up to six months of back rent for tenants.

“And then we will also do two months of forward rent,” she said. “So it’s a housing stability program, to give them a breather so they can get caught up and back on their feet.”

Miller said affordable rental housing has been a top priority for the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury since Hurricanes Laura and Delta.

“Through this funding opportunity, local landlords can obtain funds to repair or rebuild much needed housing units. We know this is a vital step in repairing housing, rebuilding the economy and bringing our residents home.”

To find out all eligibility and program requirements for LHC RRDP,  visit  www.lhc.la.gov/RRDP. The application intake period begins Monday, May 1, and will remain open until Monday, July 31. To find out more about Calcasieu Parish Human Services Housing Programs, contact the CPPJ Human Services Department at 337-721-3520 or visit their Facebook Page or website.