After two years of frustrated progress for the small rental repair program, the state of Louisiana has hired a new contractor, ACS, to run the Small Rental Property Program (SRPP), and restructured the program from an ‘incentive program’ for rental property owners to a ‘rehab program’ that will help finance and reconstruct properties.

The program is directed at one- to four-unit rental properties affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and will invest over $500 million in bringing these homes back on line as affordable rentals to help still-displaced residents return home.

The state recently issued a RFP (click link for RFP) to certify qualified nonprofits and contractors who want to rehab these properties, enabling property owners who participate in the program to choose to work with them. Tuesday meeting will help interested contractors in preparing their applications, and will allow for citizen and parish inquiries/input on program outlines. {No New Orleans Meeting will be held]

OTHER FACTS OF INTEREST:
70 percent of program resources will be invested in New Orleans.

Other qualified parishes include Calcasieu, Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany.

WHO BENEFITS?
-This is a chance for local contractors and nonprofits to tap into recovery resources to help rebuild homes in the state.
-Most of these rehabbed rental homes will be made available to households making half of the area median income, earning approximately $20,000/year

WHO SHOULD COME:
--interested local contractors and nonprofits engaged in neighborhood rehab
--parish recovery agencies in 7 affected Rita and Katrina parishes qualified for rental rehab
--MBE/WBE agencies, parish council officials interested in local hiring/contracting
--nonprofits supporting small business development, minority contracting, etc
--human service providers interested in connecting your residents to newly rehabbed homes
--residents waiting for their rental homes to be repaired