The Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program announced today that the deadline for homeowners to complete the initial survey necessary to participate in the program is Tuesday, Aug. 1. The survey is the critical first step in the application process, meaning homeowners who have not submitted the survey by the deadline will not be considered for assistance.

“I am urging homeowners affected by 2020-21 disasters to complete the survey now — do not wait and miss out on this opportunity for recovery funding,” said Pat Forbes, executive director of the Louisiana Office of Community Development. “This is not a loan, and no payback is required, so now is the time to take the first step — we know that there are still thousands of homeowners in impacted areas throughout the state who may potentially qualify for assistance that have not yet submitted a survey.”

The Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program is a federally funded, state-administered program providing grant funding to homeowners affected by Hurricane Laura, Delta and Ida and the May 2021 severe storms for home repair, reconstruction and/or reimbursement for repairs already completed.

The brief program survey can be completed online at restore.la.gov using a smartphone, tablet or computer, or by calling the program call center at 866-735-2001, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The program also offers in-person assistance with completing the survey at mobile locations throughout disaster-impacted areas. For a full schedule of events and locations, see restore.la.gov/events.

Completing the survey only takes a few minutes, and all impacted homeowners are encouraged to complete it, even if they do not believe they will qualify for assistance or have already completed their repairs. Homeowners who have previously submitted a program survey do not need to submit another one.

To be eligible for program assistance, homeowners must meet the following requirements:
1. Owned and occupied home at time of disaster event and still maintain ownership through program final project inspection
2. Damaged address was the applicant’s primary residence at the time of disaster event and is located in one of the 60 disaster-declared parishes
3. Home must be an eligible structure type as described in the program guidelines, including single family homes, owner-occupied duplexes, mobile homes and condominiums
The program has also expanded the criteria for homeowners to qualify for assistance, lowering the FEMA-determined damage threshold to $3,000 from $5,000 and raising the allowable maximum of insurance received to $50,000 from $25,000, allowing the program to serve more homeowners.

Once a homeowner completes the program survey, the program will invite the homeowner to begin a program application if they meet program phasing criteria.

The program is funded by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development and administered by the Louisiana Office of Community Development. Since its launch in February 2022, more than 22,300 homeowners have submitted the survey with 8,579 invited to begin the program application. The program has offered more than $232.8 million in grant awards to over 2,900 eligible homeowners.

For more information about the Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program, visit restore.la.gov.