On the first day of hurricane season, Louisiana is opening one of its largest opportunities yet for homeowners to strengthen their roofs before the next major storm.
Registration for the next Louisiana Fortify Homes Program lottery opens today, Monday, June 1, with 3,000 grants available to help homeowners upgrade roofs to the FORTIFIED standard. The lottery follows a major state expansion of the program, as Louisiana directs additional funding into roof mitigation to reduce storm damage and address the property insurance crisis.
For the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans, the expansion is a major opportunity for historic New Orleans homeowners — but also a reminder that a grant award is not always enough to get a roof completed.
The Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans issued the following statement from Executive Director Kristin Gisleson Palmer:
“Louisiana’s expansion of the Fortify Homes Program is a major investment in protecting homes before the next storm. For historic New Orleans homeowners, this is exactly the kind of solution we need — additionally, access matters.
A $10,000 state grant can open the door to a stronger roof, but a grant award is not a completed roof. Homeowners may still face costs beyond the grant, evaluator and documentation requirements, contractor coordination and preservation-sensitive repair issues. For many low- to moderate-income homeowners, that gap can determine whether the project moves forward at all.
That is why gap funding is so important. Through PRCNO’s Revival Grants program, and through an innovative partnership with the Louisiana Department of Insurance and Travelers, PRCNO can help eligible Orleans Parish homeowners bridge the gap between a state grant award and completed fortified roof work.
PRCNO does not run the state lottery or select recipients. Our role is to help eligible homeowners move from opportunity to completion — from a grant award on paper to a stronger roof over a family’s head.
Historic homes are family homes, affordable housing and neighborhood anchors. When a roof fails, the risk is not only damage to a building — it is displacement. Louisiana is scaling fortified roofs, and PRCNO wants to make sure historic New Orleans homeowners can be part of that progress.”
Kristin Gisleson Palmer is available today for Zoom, FaceTime or phone interviews. For media requests, contact Clint Durrett, Director of Communications to schedule a Zoom or phone interview.
Eligible Orleans Parish homeowners selected for LFHP who believe they may qualify for PRCNO’s Revival Grants support can learn more about the program and its eligibility requirements here.
Programs like Revival Grants are made possible through the support of our members, donors and partners. If you believe in helping New Orleans homeowners protect their historic properties and strengthen our neighborhoods, please consider becoming a member or making a donation today.
