Click on the links below for information to help you through the rebuilding process. For information not listed here, please feel free to call us at (504) 324-3964 or e-mail us.
Useful
Phone Numbers
Why
and How to Elevate Your Home
Termite
Protection
Building
Green
Links
Useful Phone Numbers
| General | |
| Road Home Program |
(888) ROAD-2-LA |
| New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) |
(504) 658-4400 |
| SBA Disaster Customer Service Center | (800) 659-2955 |
| Lower 9th Ward NENA | (504) 373-6483 |
| Louisiana Land Trust | (225) 395-0777 |
| Elevation Funding | |
| State-level HMGP Program | (877) 824-8312 |
| Parish-level HMGP Program | (504) 658-8400 |
| Road Home Elevation Hotline | (877) 234-1513 |
| National Flood Insurance Program Claims Line | (800) 767-4341 |
Elevation
For a presentation on how to elevate your new or existing home, click
here.
Why should I elevate my home?
Over the last one hundred years, New Orleans experienced severe flooding in 1927, 1965, 1978, 1995, and 2004. That is a total of five of what FEMA calls 100 year flood events, which are supposed to have a probability of 1% a year, in that 100 year period. Climatologists expect the incidence of flooding to increase in the future due to rising water levels in the oceans. The chances of flood damage are five times higher than the chances of fire damage for the average house in New Orleans. Experience with homeowner's and flood insurance has shown that you cannot rely on insurance to restore your house.
Elevating your home protects your family, your house, and your possessions.
Homeowners also benefit from lower flood policy premiums when they build
above recommended Base Flood Elevation. Premiums decrease about twenty percent
for each foot the house is elevated above FEMA-mandated base flood elevation.
How high do I have to elevate my home?
If you renovate a house that had more than 50% damage you must elevate your house to FEMA mandated levels.
If you build a new house you must conform to FEMA mandated levels.
Regulations in New Orleans require that a new or substantially renovated house have the first floor elevation at or above the higher of: FEMA prescribed Base Flood Elevation (BFE), or three feet (3') above the highest existing adjacent grade (HEAG)
The BFE is the number of feet, above or below sea level, that FEMA has determined will be safe during a 100-year flooding event. A 100-year flooding event as determined by FEMA has a 1% chance of occurring every year. Homeowners can find out what their Base Flood Elevation is by contacting the local floodplain administrator, or utilizing FEMA's online Map Services Center.
To determine the height required for your house you may be able to find
a surveyor’s mark showing base flood elevation on another lot on your
block. They are frequently marked with a nail in a spray paint cross on a
telephone pole or tree. You may also be able to get some idea of required
elevation from other new houses built in your neighborhood after 2005. They
should have been constructed above the higher of BFE or 3’ above highest
existing adjacent grade.
If there are no marks in your neighborhood, or you want to determine the
exact elevation required for your lot, you must consult a surveyor.
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What resources are available to help me elevate my home?
A few sources of elevation funding are:
Road Home Elevation Grant
The Road Home program offers a grant of up to $30,000 to those who qualify.
In order to qualify for this grant, you must be a member of the Road Home
program, and have received a form in the mail asking you if you are interested
in applying. The deadline to apply has passed, however extensions may be
granted for extenuating circumstances. Call the Road Home elevation hotline
at 1-(877) 234-1513 for more information about extensions. If you choose
to take this money, you are making a commitment to having an elevated home
on your lot within 3 years. You do not need to file receipts with the Road
Home program.
HMGP Money
The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, operated through the Office of Community
Development Disaster Recovery Unit , can reimburse up to $100,000 (based
on actual construction costs) to eligible Road Home Option 1 homeowners
for expenses incurred in elevating or reconstructing their homes to meet
current elevation (ABFE or BFE) requirements. HMGP is a reimbursement program.
Homeowner eligibility and eligible expenses are determined by FEMA based
on HMGP regulations. These funds are not subject to the Road Home $150,000
maximum cap. If you are building a new home, these funds can be applied
to the cost of constructing your entire house, not just your foundation!
or more information, an application, and to determine your eligibility,
please call (877) 824-8312 or visit www.mitigatela.org.
ICC Funding
Increased Cost of Compliance funding may be available through your insurance
agency if you had flood insurance when Katrina or Rita damaged your property.
If your home was more than 50% damaged and the house falls below base flood
elevation requirements, you may be eligible for up to $30,000 to tear down
and/or elevate your house. Your ability to secure ICC funding does affect
the amount of money you receive from the Road Home program. Visit the FEMA
ICC site for more information.
For additional information on how to elevate your home, these groups may be helpful:
CHAT – The
Citizens' Road Home Action Team
CHAT is an organization of New Orleans residents that works tirelessly to
make the Road Home program faster, fairer, more accurate, and more transparent.
They have done a great deal of research on elevation. KC King, a CHAT member
who has made elevation a personal project of his in the wake of Katrina,
is a wealth of knowledge on the subject, and can be contacted at k0c0king@gmail.com.
Center for Hazards Assessment,
Response, and Technology (CHART)
The Center for Hazards Assessment, Response, and Technology (CHART) at UNO
is a resource for homeowners making decisions regarding elevation. Their
website includes information about the benefits of elevating a home, recommendations
about what to ask an elevation contractor, technical information about different
elevation processes, and descriptions of a variety of funding sources for
elevation – the Road Home Elevation Incentive, state Hazard Mitigation
Grant Program Award, and ICC funding.
Rebuilding
Information Station
Personal assistance with elevation issues is also available at CHART's Rebuilding
Information Station in the research park next to UNO's campus. It is located
in UNO's Center for Energy Resource Management, Suite 103 in the research
park located at 2045 Lakeshore Dr., directly across from UNO's main campus.
It is open on Tues & Thurs from 10-6; Wed & Fri from 9-5. For more
information, call 504-280-5577.
Termite Protection
Termites thrive in the near-tropical conditions of New Orleans, and cause
close to $300 million in damage every year. It is vitally important for homeowners
to protect their investment against termites because of the severe damage
that an infestation can cause.
Elevation is the first step toward preventing termite infestation. However, it is by no means a guarantee against termite-related damage. Houses built on masonry slabs or unit masonry piers frequently have concealed cracks and hollow areas connecting the ground and the house through which termites can travel If there are no concealed pathways to the house, termites can build mud tunnels to reach edible material.
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Top
Our Commitment to Green Building
What is "sustainable building?"
Sustainable building, or "building green," is a term
that is heard increasingly often in relation to the rebuilding of New Orleans.
But what exactly does "building green" mean? Building green means that the
architect and the developer make a commitment to build a structure that is
resource-efficient and environmentally friendly. In some cases, this approach
can make the building cost more up front, but pay for itself in reduced energy
costs. One way this can be accomplished is by using new technologies such
as solar panels and water recycling systems to reduce the amount of resources
that a building requires from the community's resource grid. However, because
systems like this are very new to the market, purchasing and maintaining
them is often costly.
An alternative to using advanced technologies to build an energy-efficient
house is to build a house using simple design principles and construction
practices that have been around for generations. This "practical green" approach
is one of the main ways in which a structure can be made more energy-efficient,
and does not require the same degree of up front investment that high-tech
green systems do. In fact, just by carefully designing and constructing a
home with energy efficiency in mind, an architect can reduce the homeowner's
annual energy expenditures by up to 30%.
All of Build Now's homes are Energy Star designed (for more information about
the Energy Star program for new construction, click
here), resulting in up to a 30% savings on your monthly utility bills.
We embrace many design and construction principles that make our homes healthier
to live in and more energy efficient, without a large up-front cost to the
homeowner.
• Central AC/Heating: A centralized air conditioning and heating system allows homeowners to control the temperature of the home to within a single degree. Homeowners can also set the system to maintain a cooler temperature when they are home and allow a warmer temperature when they are out. In this way, homeowners can maximize the benefit they gain from climate control without having to leave the AC on all day, using electricity and increasing their monthly bills.
• Airflow Through the Home: All of Build Now's floorplans have been carefully designed to allow for cross-ventilation through the home, resulting in less of a need for intensive air-conditioning during the year. Additionally, this cross-ventilation means that fresh air can flow freely through to all parts of the house.
• Careful Sealing: When you fill all the cracks, gaps, and holes in the structure of a home, you remove the equivalent of a 9 sq. ft. hole in one of your walls. During the hotter and colder months of the year, homeowners often use air-conditioning or heating to make their homes more comfortable. When a home is not sealed well, recently heated or cooled air can easily escape, making the central AC/heat system work harder to keep the house at a constant temperature. At Build Now, we pay careful attention to sealing our homes, resulting in a steep reduction of the amount of air allowed to escape the inside of the structure.
• Quality Insulation: We use energy-saving, double-paned, low-E windows, allowing light into the home while providing insulation. We also utilize insulation in the attic, walls, and under the home to minimize the impact of environmental conditions on the temperature of the air inside the home.
• Natural Light: A lot of the energy used by a home goes to lighting and electricity, but with large, well-insulated windows at ample intervals throughout the house, Build Now homes make the most out of the free and beautiful natural light provided by the sun. Our open floorplans allow this light to fill the home, reducing or eliminating the need to turn on lights during the day.
• Construction Practices: At Build Now, we source all of our construction labor and as many as possible of our materials locally, cutting down on transportation costs, burning less fuel, and stimulating the local economy.
Links
New
Orleans Municipal Zoning Code
Information on setback and usage requirements by zoning district.
CNOGIS
Property Viewer
Enter an address to find a variety of information relevant to rebuilding,
including property ownership, zoning maps, damage assessment, flood zone
maps, and more.
Community
on One
Visit the City of New Orleans website that provides easy access to information
on city services, permitting, recovery projects, and other topics relevant to
individuals and businesses.
HOPE Credit Union
HOPE Credit Union provides mortgages on flexible terms with low down payments,
competitive rates, and an easy application process. With HOPE, someone earning
$30,000 a year may be able to qualify for a house worth up to $105,000, and
loans are locked in at a set monthly rate that is guaranteed to remain the
same. HOPE also provides homebuyer education services.
Neighborhood Housing
Services
NHS is committed to revitalizing New Orleans neighborhoods by increasing
the number of homeowners and reducing the number of substandard or vacant
houses through renovation into sustainable and productive homeownership.
In addition to its citywide efforts, NHS engages in comprehensive community
development within targeted neighborhoods to improve the quality of life
and promote commercial redevelopment.
Louisiana
Citizens Insurance Tax Credit
Residential and commercial property insurance policyholders will receive
an income tax credit for the Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation
regular and special assessments they paid because of Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita. This is only for people who have insurance through Citizens. You can
still file for this credit. Find out more through their website.
ACORN
Foreclosure Avoidance
ACORN Housing has a national mortgage default counseling program Home Equity
Loss Prevention Program (HELP), which assists homeowners struggling to bring
their loans current. Services include assistance with budget and credit issues,
repayment plans, forbearance plans, loan modifications, refinances, and partial
claims.
Go to their website or
contact an ACORN Housing Counselor at 504-301-3112 or 1-888-409-3557
ACORN
Predatory Lending Assistance
If you have suffered a verifiable loss of income or a verifiable increase
in expenses since the time you took out your loan (such as loss of employment,
temporary or permanent disability, reduction in monthly pay, increase in
mortgage interest rate, child care, taxes or medical expenses), you may be
eligible for hardship relief. ACORN also has a Fresh Start program for borrowers
who have lost their homes through foreclosure to HFC.
For more information, visit their website or
call 888-409-3557.
Greater
New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center
The Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center's Hurricane Relief Project
seeks to protect homeownership by providing assistance in several areas.
Services offered include mortgage issues, Road Home assistance, insurance
issues, contractor complaints, and homestead exemption and tax advising.
Visit their website or
call 504-596-2100 for more information.
Hope for Homeowners:
Foreclosure Assistance
The Hope for Homeowners program can help homeowners facing foreclosure with
assistance and resources to help you get back on track. Go to their website or
call the homeownership hotline at 1-888-995-HOPE for immediate assistance
24/7.
Consumer Credit Counseling
Service of Greater New Orleans
CCCS is a non-profit community service agency dedicated to educating consumers
in the wise and proper use of credit, and helping consumers to repay excessive
debt. CCCS offers budget counseling & debt management planning, financial
education programs, housing counseling, and more. Visit the CCCS website
or call the main number at 504-529-2396. CCCS has locations in New Orleans,
Metairie, Gretna, Slidell, and Houma, as well as locations in Mississippi.
Neighborhood
Development Foundation
The NDF is a non-profit that provides a host of services in credit and financial
counseling, especially to first-time homebuyers. Most notably, the NDF provides
assistance representing homebuyers to creditors, in addition to offering
a number of free courses on home ownership, financial fitness, and mortgages.
For more information, visit their website or
call the NDF at 504-488-0155.
IRS
Road Home FAQ
On this page, the IRS covers the Road Home grant and how it applies to taxes.
Louisiana
Land Trust
The Louisiana Land Trust is the non profit organization formed to manage
the properties that have been purchased by the State of Louisiana under the
current Road Home Program.
FEMA
Housing Portal
This portal is a listing of housing resources throughout Louisiana. Call
1-(888) 294-2822, Mondays to Fridays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or visit the website.
Landlords are encouraged to include available apartments or houses on the
list by calling 1-(888) 294-2822.
The
New Orleans Redevelopment Authority
NORA is a government agency that stimulates economic growth through equitable,
citywide revitalization and redevelopment by educating citizens and stakeholders
about redevelopment, facilitating comprehensive planning, and developing
partnerships with existing public, private, and non-profit organizations.
NORA also finances community and economic development, which transforms and
sustains the neighborhoods of New Orleans while improving the quality of
life for its citizens, creating jobs, and generating tax revenue
The Louisiana
Recovery Authority
The mission of the Louisiana Recovery Authority is to ensure that Louisiana
rebuilds safer, stronger and smarter than before. There are five areas
of focus: securing funding and other resources needed for the recovery, establishing
principles and policies for redevelopment, leading long-term community and
regional planning efforts, ensuring transparency and accountability in the
investment of recovery funds, and communicating progress, status and needs
of the recovery to officials, community advocates and the public. Throughout
its initiatives, the LRA is committed to a recovery and rebuilding process
that is fair and equitable to everyone.
