La. Admin. Code tit. 37 § XIII-18205

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024

Section XIII-18205 - Louisiana Fortify Homes Program Grants

A. Grant Eligibility. To be eligible for a Louisiana Fortify Homes Program (LFHP) grant, an applicant must meet the following requirements.

1. The home must be an owner-occupied, single-family, primary residence with a homestead exemption and cannot be a condominium or mobile home.

2. The home must be in good repair unless damaged by a hurricane, non-hurricane wind, or hail.

3. The homeowner must fortify the home's roof to meet the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) fortified roof standard.

4. The homeowner must provide the LFHP proof of a wind insurance policy on the home. Additionally, if the home is in a designated National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) flood zone, the homeowner must provide the LFHP proof of a flood insurance policy on the home.

5. The homeowner must obtain and pay for all permits required by law or ordinance for the construction.

6. The homeowner must arrange and pay for inspections required by law or ordinance and the terms of the grant, which shall include inspection pursuant to R.S. 22:1483(C)(3).

7. The work must comply with applicable building codes.

8. The LFHP project must be completed within three months of the date of the grant award notification, which will be delivered to the applicant through electronic means. Failure to timely complete the LFHP project may result in a forfeiture of the grant.

B. Grant Application Process

1. In order to apply, a homeowner must complete and submit an online grant application to the LFHP. The online grant application portal will be accessible via www.ldi.la.gov/fortifyhomes.

2. The homeowner will be responsible for paying for a certified evaluator of the homeowner's choice to provide an IBHS home review evaluation on the home seeking to be fortified. A list of certified evaluators can be found at www.ldi.la.gov/fortifyhomes. The LFHP may remove an evaluator from the list of certified evaluators at any time upon a finding that the evaluator failed to meet any of the program requirements listed in §18204 of this Regulation.

3. The evaluator shall determine whether or not the home meets a minimum structural standard on a pass or fail basis before identifying all improvements required to meet the IBHS fortified roof standard. Afterward, the evaluator shall submit a report to the IBHS for approval and provide a copy of the submitted report to the LFHP.

4. Via the LFHP online application portal, the homeowner must then upload bids from three LFHP-approved contractors of their choice to improve the home to meet the IBHS fortified roof standard. If an LFHP-approved contractor is not available in the area where the home is located, the minimum number of bids required for the application will be reduced to reflect the number of contractors that are available in the area. A list of eligible contractors can be found at www.ldi.la.gov/fortifyhomes. The LFHP may remove a contractor from the list of eligible contractors at any time upon a finding that the contractor failed to meet any of the program requirements listed in §18203 of this Regulation.

C. Awarding of Grants. The LFHP will review all applications for completeness and will perform appropriate audits to verify the accuracy of the information in the application and whether the applicant meets the eligibility criteria. Verified applicants will then be placed in the order received, and grants will be awarded on a first-come basis, subject to availability of funding. Upon submission of an LFHP grant application, the LFHP will have 30 days to approve or deny the application. However, the LFHP may extend the time for review and approval of applications as it deems necessary. The LFHP will notify an applicant if the time for review and approval of the application has been extended. LFHP-approved contractors are not authorized to begin work on a home until the grant for the work is approved.

D. Maximum Grant Award. The amount of a grant award shall be equivalent to the actual cost to upgrade to the IBHS fortified roof standard not to exceed $10,000. The Commissioner of the Department of Insurance may periodically update the amount of the grant award.

E. Release of Funds. Grant funds will only be released on behalf of an approved applicant once an IBHS fortified certificate has been issued for the home. Funds will be paid by the LFHP, on behalf of the homeowner, directly to the contractor that performed the work to fortify the roof.

F. Grant Award Process

1. Once the grant application is approved, the homeowner may contract with an LFHP-approved contractor to fortify the home. Once the fortification work on the home is completed, the LFHP-approved contractor will submit a copy of the signed contract to the LFHP, along with an invoice seeking payment and an affidavit verifying that the fortified standard was met by the work done by the LFHP-approved contractor.

2. The evaluator will perform all required evaluations, including the required interim inspection during construction and the final inspection, confirming that the work was completed according to the IBHS fortified roof specifications. The IBHS will review the evaluation and determine whether to issue a fortified designation, which is a written certificate that the home meets the fortified standard.

3. The LFHP will pay the LFHP-approved contractor's costs covered by the grant, and the homeowner shall pay the remaining costs to the LFHP-approved contractor.

4. The homeowner then must submit the declaration pages of the required insurance coverage to the LFHP within 30 days of receiving the fortified designation.

5. The LFHP may conduct random inspections to detect any fraud or irregularities.

6. To timely manage the processing of grant applications or to meet funding limitations, it may be necessary to establish specific periods when the LFHP will accept grant applications.

La. Admin. Code tit. 37, § XIII-18205

Promulgated by the Department of Insurance, Office of the Commissioner, LR 49700 (4/1/2023).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S.22:11 and R.S. 22:1483.1(A).