Jo Thompson said she didn’t waste any time signing up for the shelter at home program when registration started Monday.
Thompson said that first responders rescued her and her kids from her home that flooded, and was then taken to a shelter.
Governor John Bel Edwards announced the shelter at home disaster recovery program to help those affected by flooding to have the opportunity to live at home while repairs are being made and released registration information for the program that will allow Louisiana residents whose homes flooded to shelter at their own home while they continue to rebuild, rather than relocating to a shelter, hotel or rental property.
Residents who are eligible for the program should register using one of the following methods:
- By phone: 1-800-927-0216
- Online: shelterathome.la.gov
The Shelter at Home Program evaluates each applicant’s home and, if up to $15,000 of work in that home can create a safe, secure, habitable place for the family to live while they continue their permanent home rebuilding, then that applicant may be eligible for this program. This program is not designed to fully repair the applicant’s home.
To be eligible, the property must be single-family and owner-occupied and have up to $15,000 in repairs that will allow residents to quickly and safely shelter in their own home. Only properties that meet these criteria are eligible to participate in the program.
Anyone in this program must apply individually (separately from registering with FEMA or SBA or filing a flood insurance claim with NFIP). Applications should be made to the website or phone number listed above.
Shelter at Home teams will complete tasks such as:
- Taking temporary actions to weatherproof the home and prevent water intrusion; repairs could be temporary patches
- Patching (minor and quick repairs), door hardware replacement, and replacement/repair of door jambs and headers as necessary for secure entry and exit
- Securing broken windows with minor carpentry or hardware repairs
- Repairing damaged front stairs or porches to allow safe entrance and exit
- Ensuring that plumbing is connected to a sanitary sewer or approved sewerage disposal system
- Ensuring that potable water is available and operational
- Inspection and testing of electrical, HVAC, and plumbing systems to ensure they are in safe working order
- Removing drywall, insulation and other water-absorbing wall coverings (excluding fire-rated walls) damaged by flooding
- Removing flood-damaged water-absorbing flooring material including carpet, carpet padding, and other materials.
- Removing debris to the street right-of-way
- Cleaning and sanitizing exposed floor and wall surfaces where flooring or wall coverings were removed
- Ensuring there is one (1) temporary working bathroom in the home, which could include cleaning or fixing a bathtub/shower, toilet and sink
- Maintaining heating and minimum air conditioning for comfort
- Repairing or replacing damaged water heaters
- Inspecting and repairing natural gas lines if necessary
- Testing and repairing or replacing/installing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
- Providing mini-refrigerators and microwaves as necessary (The total appliance allowance will be $500 where needed.)
- If a homeowner is not eligible for the Shelter at Home Program, there are other options available, including the:
- Manufactured Housing Units (MHUs) program: FEMA will provide mobile homes for up to 18 months to eligible applicants. Unlike the old FEMA trailers, these mobile homes are built according to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development standards.
- Multi-Family Lease and Repair Program (MFLRP): In this program, FEMA identifies larger scale rental property currently not on the market where the property owner, with some financial assistance from FEMA, can make the property ready to rent within two months. The property owner agrees to make these rentals available to eligible FEMA applicants.
- Transitional Shelter Assistance (TSA): A temporary program for survivors displaced from their primary residence that allows eligible disaster survivors to select from a list of partner hotel rooms.
- Access to available rental property listed on www.lahousingsearch.org.
Shauna Sanford, press secretary for the Office of the Governor, said more than 7,000 people have signed up.
“You don’t have to go and pay for an apartment, you don’t have to move in with family or friends although they would gladly welcome you, you don’t have to go to a hotel or motel you don’t have to go to a shelter, this allows you to stay in your home while you work on your home, and to be very clear, it’s not to completely repair your home, it’s to create a space that you can live in for the time being while you work on getting things back in order,” Sanford said.
A click of the mouse is all it takes, Thompson said, to get her back to normalcy, be able to oversee repairs, her son back in a neighborhood school, and bring the community back where it needs to be.