We just heard some more great news: Louisiana has launched a $10 million program to help communities affected by hurricanes Gustav and Ike create plans to be more resilient in the event of future disasters.
From the press release:
The competitive Comprehensive Resiliency Program is a $10 million pool of federal Community Development Block Grant funds that will fund non-construction projects such as planning for land use, the creation of forward-thinking zoning ordinances and the augmentation of local code enforcement staffs. Drawn from Louisiana’s $1 billion allocation of CDBG funds for recovery from hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008, eligible projects must focus on communities in the 53 parishes affected by these storms.
“Over the past few years, Louisiana has weathered major hurricanes that have placed our communities at risk. This program will provide funding to support land use planning and promote strong code enforcement which, when paired with existing mitigation efforts, including restoring our coastline, can protect communities from future loss,” said Robin Keegan, executive director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority. “There is not a one-size-fits-all solution for promoting resiliency, so we must work with at-risk communities to develop appropriate solutions.”
The state will fund projects in two categories:
- Plan or Zoning Ordinance Development: Open to public entities and non-profit organizations to finance the development of forward-thinking plans related to land use, economic development, resiliency and water management and development of local zoning ordinances that will help prevent or dramatically minimize business, housing, and infrastructure damage from future storm events.
- Code Enforcement Staff Ramp Up: Open only to parishes, municipalities and other relevant public entities to finance in-house staff to assist in the establishment or acceleration of building code enforcement and resiliency education.
The LRA and the state Office of Community Development are accepting applications until 5 p.m., March 17, 2010. Awards will be announced later this spring. You can download application documents here.
“State Launches $10 Million Program to Improve Resiliency in Parishes Affected by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike” (via the Louisiana Recovery Authority).