Hurricane Ida Sheltering Program Announced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 4, 2021
Contact: govpress@la.gov

 Gov. Edwards Announces a Temporary State Sheltering Program Option Offering Travel Trailers to Some Families Affected by Hurricane Ida 

BATON ROUGE — Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced that the state of Louisiana, through the Governor’s Office Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, is opening the Hurricane Ida Sheltering Program, which will provide temporary housing, like travel trailers, to people in heavily impacted parishes where other sheltering options are currently unavailable. Those whose homes were destroyed or currently unlivable can begin registering for the program today by either visiting www.Idashelteringla.com or calling (844) 268-0301. 

Louisiana’s Hurricane Ida Sheltering Program was authorized by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide safe non-congregate sheltering due to the unique circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.  This program is intended to help reduce the risk of spreading the virus among households while allowing individuals and families to live as closely as possible as they repair their damaged homes. The goal is to have the first state-owned travel trailers staged in the designated parishes within the week as teams begin assessing both group and private location sites.

Louisiana’s Hurricane Ida Sheltering Program is designed to complement, not replace, other housing options such as travel trailers, hotels, and mobile homes offered through FEMA.

“There is no doubt that there are people currently living in unsafe or unsanitary housing because of Hurricane Ida, which is not acceptable. Housing is the biggest challenge facing those affected by this devastating storm, and our state-run sheltering program is a safe, creative, temporary solution to get more people closer to their homes as they rebuild,” Gov. Edwards said. “I’m grateful to FEMA’s flexibility in working with us to purchase travel trailers as an interim solution to help survivors while other efforts, including work by FEMA, are ongoing. Last week, Congress and the White House approved billions in federal Community Development Block Grant funding for Louisiana and other states to address damage caused by recent storms. In Louisiana, we intend to direct much of our share of the funding to housing recovery for people affected by Hurricanes Laura, Delta, Zeta, and Ida.”

The program offers non-congregate sheltering, which is different from traditional sheltering options to provide a living space that offers some level of privacy. Sheltering options may include hotels, base camps, crew barges, or recreational vehicles (RVs), including travel trailers that typically hitch to an existing vehicle. While this program is funded through FEMA, it is run entirely by the state.

To register for the program or find out what sheltering options are available in affected parishes visit IdaShelteringla.com or call (844) 268-0301 or for TTY services call (844) 458-1806.

Residents can check the availability of shelters in their areas by texting LAShelter to 898211 or dial 211 to locate a shelter or by visiting www.getagameplan.org. 

After receiving federal approval from FEMA, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness issued an emergency procurement request that resulted in the hiring of APTIM on September 24, 2021. Last week, the state issued its first purchase order for travel trailers for the program. The program is federally funded through the FEMA Public Assistance program, which means the federal government will cover 90 percent of the costs.

Briefing Slides From Announcement: