Safe Housing/Healthy Homes Program

The City of Monroe has received a 1.5 million dollar grant through the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to launch a Safe Housing and Healthy Homes Program administered by the Planning and Urban Development Department (PUD), Community Development Division, as a sub-grantee, in partnership with Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC) to help homeowners and landlords who own houses built before 1978, rent to a family with a child/children 6 years old or younger, pregnant mom, and meet the low-moderate income criteria. You may be eligible for a grant! Take advantage of this opportunity by registering for the First Blight Boot Camp on Saturday, April 22, 8:30 AM – 2:00 PM at the Monroe Civic Center. The city of Monroe has workshops planned which feature the founder of “The Front Porch Project,” housing developers, neighborhood organizers, and city departments engaged in providing services to improve our city, in addition to the Safe Housing and Healthy Homes Program workshop where eligible applicants, including landlords, can apply to obtain up to $28,000 for new windows, doors, paint (interior and exterior), floors, and other health safety-related improvements. The Blight Boot Camp allows the city, as a community, to seize the moment to address some of the environmental issues that have plagued homes and communities, which can have generational effects on health if overlooked. Come out in full force to register for the First Blight Boot Camp and experience the many workshops that will be offered. This event will be a paradigm shift for the community. For more information about the Safe Housing and Healthy Homes Program, see the ad on page 12 of the paper. For information about the Blight Boot Camp call Jacqueline Benjamin, Neighborhood Revitalization Coordinator, 318-812-7456.