Application Deadline Set for Island Residents Eligible for Homes in Isle de Jean Charles Resettlement

The Louisiana Office of Community Development has set Jan. 31 as the application deadline for residents of Isle de Jean Charles eligible for either a new home in The New Isle community or an existing home in Louisiana. The Isle de Jean Charles Resettlement is part of a federally funded, first-of-its kind effort to move a community of island residents imperiled by rising seas in the Gulf of Mexico to higher, safer ground.

The effort will resettle willing families and individuals who are permanent residents of Isle de Jean Charles to The New Isle in Terrebonne Parish, or elsewhere within Louisiana. Several housing options are available in the Isle de Jean Charles Resettlement, but the Jan. 31 deadline applies only to applicants whose primary residence was on the island as of Aug. 28, 2012 (Hurricane Isaac).

• Option A—New home in The New Isle Current permanent, primary residents, or residents with a primary residence on the island sometime between Aug. 28, 2012, and the program’s launch on March 9, 2019, may choose a new home in the resettlement community as their primary residence.
• Option D—Existing home in Louisiana Current permanent, primary residents, or residents with a primary residence on the island sometime between Aug. 28, 2012, and the program’s launch on March 9, 2019, may choose an existing home within Louisiana that meets program standards, is located outside the currently recognized 100-year floodplain and is apart from the resettlement community.
• Option B—Vacant lot in The New Isle Past permanent, primary residents displaced from the island before Aug. 28, 2012, who lived in a program-eligible parish at the time of Hurricane Isaac, currently reside in a program-eligible parish and can demonstrate financial ability to build a new home, may choose a lot in the resettlement community as their primary residence. The state will start accepting applications for Option B on Feb. 10.

The many options available for willing and eligible participants demonstrate the state’s commitment to the preservation and continuity of the islanders’ diverse cultural identities and traditions. This comprehensive, holistic approach will allow past residents who left the island before Aug. 28, 2012, to rejoin the community in its new location.

"We have been actively working with residents who have lived on the island since Aug. 28, 2012, providing options and assistance so they can make the best decisions for themselves and their families," OCD Executive Director Pat Forbes said. "In addition, we are providing an option for residents who left the island before that date—most likely due to repetitive storm damage and flooding—but would like to rejoin the Isle de Jean Charles community. The goals of the Resettlement are, first, to provide residents with an opportunity to move out of harm’s way, and also to provide every opportunity for the community to maintain and build upon the deep cultural and community ties that the island represents."

Funded through Community Development Block Grant money, the state has worked with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to develop these options based on a series of eligibility factors, including date of residence and current housing situation.

Resettlement team members are available to answer questions and assist individuals wishing to complete applications from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, at 1220 Aycock St. in Houma. No appointment is necessary.

For more information, call 833.632.2976, email isledejeancharles@la.gov or visit IsleDeJeanCharles.la.gov.