Andrew Granger is a homeowner who owns a brick home south of Abbeville, and it got flooded twice over a three-year period because of storm surges from two hurricanes.

He attended the first-ever Vermilion Parish Community Expo in search of answers as to where to get extra money to lift his home.

After getting bids from lifters, the total cost would be around $110,000 which includes lifting, rebuilding a floor and doing all of the plumbing and electrical work. Months after Hurricane Ike, the Granger family and other families have yet to make a decision on what to do with their homes because of the expense of lifting.

However, after Paul Rainwater, who is in charge of overseeing the state’s recovery authority, spoke at the expo, there may be financial hope for homeowners like Granger and others who can not afford the $100,000 it costs to lift a 1,500-plus square foot brick home.

Rainwater delivered some positive news to homeowners. He said to the crowd at Abbeville High that he is extending the deadline to apply for the $30,000 of grant money to lift your home through the Road Home

Program.

The original deadline was in December of 2008 to apply for funds to lift your home after Hurricane Rita, which was almost four years ago. Rainwater told parish residents that residents whose homes flooded during Hurricane Ike can now apply for up to $30,000 Road Home grant money in order to lift. He said when applying for the money, send a letter to him explaining that your home was flooded due to Ike.

Funds are also available under the state’s Home Mitigation Program. Up to $30,000 is available to homeowners for elevation of homes in order to meet the local Base Flood Elevation. When a homeowner applies for Road Home , they also apply to the mitigation program. This program is a reimbursement program, however. Also, in order to receive mitigation grant money, the homeowner has to be approved by the program before elevation is done on the home.

The other grant program available is through ICC. A person who is lifting their home or wants to tear down their existing home to build a dirt mound can qualify for up to $30,000 in grant money. A person is given half of the money before lifting and the other half after the job is complete. The ICC program is through the homeowner’s insurance company.

The Police Jury will also learn this week on how much money the parish will be receiving from the Louisiana Recovery Authority. Early estimates are around $8 million. The money can be used to repair infrastructure for towns, as well as elevating homes throughout the parish. The Police Jury has the say in how the money will be spent.

Police Juror Mark Poché, whose home was flooded in Erath, supports the concept to have most of the money go towards helping families lift their homes.