The followng excerpt is from the FEMA websit:
"NEW ORLEANS – In support of the state of Louisiana’s recovery from hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided approximately $17.5 billion in individual, public and hazard mitigation assistance over the past six years.
“As we pause to reflect upon the anniversaries of Katrina and Rita’s landfalls, six years of recovery has led us to recognizable accomplishments across six noteworthy sectors—individuals and families, education and learning, health care, public safety, infrastructure and partnerships,” said FEMA’s Louisiana Recovery Office Acting Executive Director Joseph Threat.
Regarding individuals and families, after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, hundreds of thousands of Louisiana residents needed help rebuilding their lives from the ground up. Consequently, FEMA has provided approximately $5.8 billion in Individuals and Households Program grants to 915,884 individuals and families statewide. These dollars helped to afford housing assistance for rent, repairs and replacement housing, as well as other needs assistance for such things as furniture, clothing and replacement vehicles.
FEMA also housed more than 92,000 households in travel trailers, park models and mobile homes across Louisiana to combat the largest housing shortage ever seen in the agency’s history. Units were located on private properties, at industrial sites, in commercial mobile home parks and across 111 FEMA built and maintained group sites throughout the state.
“With only 54 temporary housing units remaining in use as of mid-August this year, nearly all 92,000 households have moved on to more permanent housing,” said FEMA Region VI Administrator Tony Russell. “This is a huge accomplishment for our dedicated staff and local and state partners who have worked relentlessly in support of this monumental housing mission.”
Additionally, to assist in rebuilding disaster-damaged public infrastructure, FEMA’s Public Assistance Program has provided approximately $10.8 billion for the restoration of roughly 23,177 Katrina and Rita recovery projects throughout Louisiana. Such FEMA aid lends itself to significant impacts across various public sectors, including approximately:
• $4 billion for education and learning facilities
• $842.4 million for public safety facilities
• $1.2 billion for general infrastructure (e.g., roads, transportation, parks and sewerage and water facilities)
• $900 million for health care facilities
Lastly, FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program also services individuals and public entities impacted by hurricanes Katrina and Rita by providing grants to communities and state agencies for projects that are designed to save lives and protect properties. Specifically, in response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita, FEMA has made $1.47 billion in HMGP funding available to the state of Louisiana, of which 420 projects have been approved so far for a total of $873.2 million in obligated HMGP funding.
“As recovery momentum continues to grow throughout New Orleans and other local communities, FEMA will stay steadfast in our resolve to best aid the great state and people of Louisiana,” added Threat.
For more information about Louisiana’s ongoing recovery efforts, visit FEMA’s website dedicated to the sixth anniversary of hurricanes Katrina and Rita: www.fema.gov/la6year
All data is as of June 17, 2011, unless otherwise noted.
When FEMA approves projects through its supplemental Public Assistance grant, the funds are made available to the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness, who disburses them to the applicant for eligible work completed.
The Public Assistance program works with state and local officials to fund recovery measures and the rebuilding of government and certain private nonprofit organizations’ buildings, as well as roads, bridges and water and sewer plants. In order for the process to be successful, federal, state and local partners coordinate to draw up project plans, fund these projects and oversee their completion."
