OVERVIEW
In response to significant housing damages resulting from Hurricane Isaac, Plaquemines Parish Government has contracted HGA to develop and administer the Parish’s $16.9 million Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, which provides assistance to single-family homeowners with unmet housing repair needs.
SOLUTION
HGA has been supporting this program from its conception and is now working toward closeout. We helped the Parish draft policies and procedures for all aspects of the program to comply with CDBG-DR guidelines and follow local disaster recovery priorities. HGA worked with the Parish to outline eligibility determinations for program applicants and to prioritize applications. Our team has provided duplication of benefits (DOB)/verification of benefits (VOB) analyses. We have conducted community outreach and provided technical assistance to the applicants before, during, and after the construction process.
This technical assistance involves tracking each property from application to completion. To date, HGA has completed 179 site-specific environmental reviews for PHAP. HGA used standardized processes for picture-taking, mapping, and performing on-site evaluations throughout the review process. All sites were cleared without issue, and funds were released in a timely manner. HGA’s comprehensive support of PHAP has also involved tracking expenditures program-wide, including direct construction costs and indirect administrative costs, and preparing draw requests.
HGA has also worked with PHAP’s management to administer a program that used CDBG-DR funds to provide the required 25% non-federal match for FEMA-funded Hurricane Isaac HMGP activities for 99 properties across the parish.