Another round of funding for the Louisiana Fortify Homes Lottery Program is available.
The Louisiana Department of Insurance is overseeing the program, and eligible homeowners in the state’s coastal region can receive a grant of up to $10,000 to make their homes more resistant to hurricane force winds.
LDI spokesperson John Ford says that the goal of the program is to mitigate home damage and improve the state’s insurance crisis.
“ We're actually going to decrease the risk for the entire state, and that should benefit all residents,” said Ford.
Registration begins Wednesday, Feb. 12, at 8 a.m.
Homeowners are required to create a profile. LFHP will randomly select 1,000 participants and send an email notification to registrants who were chosen to participate.
This round of grants is limited to residents of Louisiana’s Coastal Zone and homes in Lake Charles, Sulphur and Westlake. To see if your home is located in Louisiana’s Coastal Zone, go to the Coastal Zone Map and enter your address in the “Find address or place” field in the top-right corner of the page: Homes within the blue-shaded area of the map are eligible.
Those interested in the program are encouraged to review eligibility information and frequently asked questions at www.ldi.la.gov/fortifyhomes to determine whether their home meets the requirements for the program.
Ford says if you weren’t chosen in a previous lottery, you can re-register under your previous login.
If selected to participate in the grant program, homeowners will be financially responsible for having the home evaluated by a FORTIFIED-certified Evaluator as well as costs for the roof upgrade including permits, inspections and construction costs beyond the amount of the grant.
Eligibility & Grant Requirements:
- Homeowners applying for a grant should wait to see if they are selected to participate before contacting an Evaluator or Contractor as the process for selecting professionals is managed through the LFHP grant program. Homeowners who select a Contractor and begin work on the project before receiving approval from the LFHP are not eligible for the program.
- Homeowners selected to receive a grant will be responsible for paying evaluation fees for the entire evaluation process according to prices set by the Evaluator.
- Homeowners are only eligible for their primary residence and must verify they have a homestead exemption on the property during the application process.
- Homeowners must provide proof of an active residential insurance policy with wind coverage. If they live in a Special Flood Hazard Area as designated by FEMA, they must also provide proof of a flood insurance policy. Contact your agent if you are unsure whether you have these coverages.
- Homes must be in good repair as determined by a FORTIFIED Evaluator.
- Homeowners who have an open insurance claim or had a claim for the repair or replacement of the roof must disclose the claim information during the grant process.
- New construction homes, condominiums and mobile homes are not eligible to participate in the program.
- Homes on a foundation constructed of unrestrained stacked masonry or stone (dry-stack foundation) are not eligible without an approved retrofit of the foundation.
- The completed project must meet the FORTIFIED Roof Standard for the grant to be issued. Grant funds are paid directly to contractors. Homeowners are financially responsible for all costs beyond the full grant amount. Grant funding is limited to construction costs.
- These and all other eligibility requirements and program details may be reviewed at www.ldi.la.gov/fortifyhomes.
Ford says increasing the number of homes resistant to natural disasters is a win-win for the entire state.
“By creating a more resilient sector of the state, we're going to attract more insurance companies and that competition will help us reduce insurance rates for all homeowners,” said Ford.
Even if your home is not located in the eligible coastal region, Ford says there are both tax and insurance benefits to upgrading your property to fortified standards.
The deadline to register is Sunday, Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. More information is available on the program’s website.
