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| November 8, 2006 |
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| $30 Billion In Disaster Aid to Louisiana |
NEW ORLEANS - November 8, 2006. More than $30.1 billion in federal funds have been obligated for Louisiana residents in Individual and Public Assistance programs, National Flood Insurance claims and SBA housing money as the state continues to recover from the devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in the 14 months following the most costly disaster in history, continues to work closely with applicants, local and state organizations and voluntary agencies in rebuilding Louisiana.
Individual Assistance grants are being approved and disbursed through the following programs:
More than $5.2 billion have been awarded to individuals and families under the Individuals and Household Program.
1.6 million households have been approved for Housing Assistance totaling more then $3.7 billion. Housing Assistance includes temporary housing, repair and replacement and permanent housing construction.
More than 345,000 individuals have been approved for more than $1.5 billion in Other Needs Assistance which includes personal property, transportation, medical and dental expenses, funeral expenses and other expenses such as moving and storage.
The Public Assistance grants program provides assistance for work including the restoration of infrastructure to pre-disaster conditions, debris removal and emergency protective measures. FEMA awards grants to assist state and local government and certain private non-private entities respond to and recovery from the disaster.
More than 4.2 billion in federal dollars has been obligated for Public Assistance projects which include school, libraries, roads, bridges, etc.
Other assistance:
To date, more than $14 billion has been paid in National Flood Insurance Program claims for Katrina and Rita. There are more than 485,000 flood policies in force in Louisiana. Premiums paid for policy coverage exceeded $248 million. This represents more than $78 billion of flood insurance coverage.
To date, there are nearly 69,000 active travel trailer leases (currently occupied; not cumulative) for both Katrina and Rita. This includes more than 56,000 leases on private sites and nearly 13,000 leases on group, commercial and other sites.
In addition, $6.7 billion in U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) low-interest loans have been approved:
More than $5.2 billion in loans to 80,757 homeowners and renters.
More than $1.5 billion to 13,683 businesses.
Louisiana residents have sought information at Disaster Recovery Centers (DRCs) throughout the affected areas.
To date, three DRCs are staffed by representatives of the SBA, crisis counselors, disaster mitigation specialists and other personnel from federal, state and voluntary agencies.
The three DRCs are located in Orleans and Jefferson Parish.
FEMA's temporary housing assistance and grants for public transportation expenses, medical and dental expenses, and funeral and burial expenses do not require individuals to apply for an SBA loan. However, an applicant must complete an SBA loan application to be eligible for assistance that covers personal property, vehicle repair or replacement, and moving and storage expenses.
FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident, initiates mitigation activities and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA works closely with state and local emergency managers, law enforcement personnel, firefighters and other first responders. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Source: FEMA |
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