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The Louisiana Office of Community Development is accepting public comments on an action plan amendment that will reallocate Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funding received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for recovery from The Great Floods of 2016.

 

Action Plan Amendment 21 changes the name of the Rural Bond Bundle Program to the Rural Repair and Rehabilitation Program and changes the requirements of the program by removing the financing stipulation to use bonds and Low Income Housing Tax Credits. APA 21 also modifies the design and budget of the OCD CDBG Homeownership Pilot Program and reduces funds allocated to the undersubscribed Multifamily Rental GAP Program.

 

Rural Repair and Rehabilitation Program: As the initial response to the bond bundling program was limited, and time constraints associated with the funding were restrictive, the state is modifying the requirements for repair and rehabilitation of rural multifamily properties by removing the stipulation that bond funding and LIHTCs are a necessary source of project financing or that properties be grouped (i.e., bundled). The new name is the Rural Repair and Rehabilitation Program.

 

OCD CDBG Homeownership Pilot Program: This amendment streamlines the program to improve efficiencies by separating the construction and disposition phases of home ownership. Using resources already in place, OCD and the Louisiana Land Trust will manage construction of the affordable housing units using CDBG-DR funds. During the construction phase, OCD will select an eligible applicant to market and sell the homes to low-to-moderate income households. As specified in a Notice of Funding Availability, the awarded applicant will be responsible for marketing and selling the new homes to qualified home buyers under the terms of the program.

 

Multifamily Rental GAP Program: APA 21 reduces the funding allocated to the undersubscribed program from $21 million to $18 million.

 

This amendment is considered substantial and requires a public comment period, as it changes the name and requirements of the rural repair program, changes the scope of the homeownership pilot program and reallocates funding of 15 percent or greater in the GAP program budget. 

The formal public comment period for APA 21 begins May 10 and ends at 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 23, after which the state will submit the amendment to HUD for approval.

The action plan amendment and ability to submit public comments are on the OCD website at https://www.doa.la.gov/doa/ocd/policy-and-reports/apa/. A copy of the plan is available on the Action Plans page of the website or by calling 225.219.9600.

 

Members of the public can submit comments several ways (indicate APA 21 in the subject line):

• Emailing them to ocd@la.gov;
• Mailing them to Disaster Recovery Unit, P.O. Box 94095, 70804-9095,
• Faxing them to the attention of Janice Lovett at 225.219.9605.