Carter Celebrates Vice President Visit, New Infrastructure Funds for Broadband and Flood-prone Homeowners

SUNSET, L.A. – Today,Congressman Troy A. Carter Sr. joined Vice President Kamala Harris, Deputy Secretary of Commerce Don Graves, and local and state officials in Sunset, Louisiana to celebrate the announcement of federal investments in Louisiana’s broadband system and flood mitigation programs. He joined the Vice President and Deputy Secretary in their flight to Acadiana on Air Force Two.

The first major announcement of the day was the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) award of $29.9 million to expand broadband in the Acadiana region, including Acadia Parish, Evangeline Parish, and St. Landry Parish. The award will be used to fund the Acadiana Regional Public/Private Partnership project, which will fund last-mile broadband deployment to the Acadiana region of Louisiana and serve 22,196 households. These awards serve as a down payment on the Louisiana’s broadband future and will pave the way for at least $100 million in investments to the state to expand broadband thanks to the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

“Today I was proud to welcome the Vice President and Deputy Commerce Secretary Graves to Louisiana,” said Congressman Carter. “We heard directly from residents about the challenges they face due to lack of access to affordable, high-speed broadband and delivered a vision of a brighter future. Thanks to the President’s Infrastructure Law, which I was proud to support, we are now one step closer to bridging the digital chasm that has held back parts of Louisiana for far too long. Thanks to this $29 million award and the anticipated total $100 million coming our way, we will ensure Louisianians, wherever they live, can better advance their pursuits through reliable access the internet.”

Today, Vice President Harris also announced a new federal grant initiative that will help four states affected by Hurricane Ida, one of the most intense storms to hit the United States in recent years, build resiliency against flooding.

The new $60 million Swift Current initiative, made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, allocates $40 million to Louisiana. This funding will equitably expedite mitigation grants to disaster survivors with repetitively flooded homes. This is the first FEMA initiative funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to strengthen national preparedness and resilience.

Congressman Carter was one of just two members of the Louisiana congressional delegation to vote in support of the Infrastructure Law and was the only member of the delegation to attend today’s event with the Vice President.

“These investments show the federal government’s commitment to helping communities in Louisiana impacted by flooding get back on their feet,” said Congressman Carter. “We need to build resilience within communities, and these Swift Current grants put money in the hands of homeowners to do exactly that. We must reduce the financial burden facing families struggling to rebuild after a storm, and the next step is to address the rising cost of flood insurance facing many Louisianians.”

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes $3.5 billion in Flood Mitigation Assistance grants over five years. As part of the $3.5 billion, the Swift Current program will help communities reduce flood damage by offering more equitable access to mitigation grants for projects such as eligible projects include property acquisition and demolition, elevation, and relocation. This program includes increased federal cost shares which can allow participation from communities that often face barriers to meeting their non-federal match.

Louisiana and three other states were selected because they hold the highest number of unmitigated severe repetitive loss and repetitive loss properties insured under the National Flood Insurance Program, as well as total flood insurance claims within their respective FEMA regions.

The $60 million in Swift Current funding will distribute $40 million to Louisiana, $5 million to Mississippi, $10 million to New Jersey, and $5 million to Pennsylvania.

To be eligible, buildings must be insured through the National Flood Insurance Program for FEMA to consider them for this funding opportunity.

The initiative promotes equity in line with the Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, as the Swift Current funding opportunity aims to prioritize help by providing at least 40% of the benefits to disadvantaged communities.

The application process for federal grants can be burdensome for socially vulnerable communities. FEMA reduced grant application complexities by developing pre-calculated benefits to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of eligible mitigation projects. This enables communities with limited access to resources to apply for these grants, along with the savings from the increased federal cost-share match.

The application period opens on April 1 and closes Oct. 3. The Notice of Funding Opportunity is available on Grants.gov, and all applications must be submitted in the Mitigation eGrants system, by 12:00pm ET on Oct. 3, 2022.

For more information, interested parties should contact their state’s hazard mitigation officer.

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