Project to Raise Homes, Move Families in Southwest Coastal Louisiana Moves Forward

Carlos Ortega, a worker with Clesi Foundations, moves support wood at a house being raised in Harvey in August 2011. (Photo by Susan Poag, The Times-Picayune archive)

nola.com - by Sara Sneath - March 11, 2019

A study to determine which homes in Southwest Coastal Louisiana will qualify for voluntary relocation or elevation recently received funding after much back-and-forth between parish officials and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

While financing for the study only accounts for a small chunk of the overall project, it represents the first time a non-structural project within the state’s coastal master plan has been given funding, said Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana Board Chairman Chip Kline. Flood proofing businesses, home elevations and voluntary home acquisitions are all considered non-structural measures. The most recent version of the 50-year plan estimates 26,569 homes and businesses across Louisiana will be eligible for help, at a cost of more than $6 billion.

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