Gov. John Bel Edwards will attend the Restore Louisiana Task Force meeting on Friday, Jan. 6 in Livingston to discuss the state’s plan for spending $1.2 billion in flood-relief funding recently approved by Congress.
The governor will also update task force members on the state’s overall progress in recovery from last year’s catastrophic flooding, as well as his ongoing efforts to seek additional relief funds from the federal government.
“The $1.6 billion pledged by Congress so far is greatly appreciated, but it’s not nearly enough,” Edwards said. “We still need over $2 billion more to ensure a full recovery for our residents and a safer, more resilient future for our state.”
The meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Livingston Parish Council Chambers at 20355 Government Blvd. in Livingston. A live stream will be available at gov.louisiana.gov.
In addition to Edwards’ comments, the task force will be updated on final changes to the Office of Community Development’s plan for a $438 million federal appropriation secured by the Edwards administration six weeks after the August flood. The administration completed the task force-recommended plan three weeks after receiving guidelines from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The public comment period ended Jan. 3, and the state will submit its action plan within the next few days, more than a month ahead of HUD’s deadline. Once HUD approves the plan, the agency will make the money available to the state, possibly as soon as March.
Last modified: January 3, 2017