Business groups work to provide temporary housing to Terrebonne and Lafourche residents displaced by Hurricane Ida

Business groups work to provide temporary housing to Terrebonne and Lafourche residents displaced by Hurricane Ida

(Houma Today) – A coalition of local business groups have kicked off a privately funded initiative to provide short-term, temporary housing to Terrebonne and Lafourche parish residents displaced by Hurricane Ida.

“With the support of business and industry in our region and charitable investments from private donors, we are excited to launch this housing initiative for Terrebonne and Lafourche to get individuals and families into safe and stable housing,” said Dr. Michael Garcia, board chairman of the Terrebonne Economic Development Foundation, which is leading the program. “We believe that the private sector can play a critical role providing housing solutions that supplement the public programs for emergency housing.”

Other business groups participating include the Houma-Terrebonne, Lafourche and Thibodaux chambers of commerce, the South Louisiana Economic Council, the South Central Industrial Association and the Bayou Industrial Group.

The program will enhance efforts of community nonprofits that have been working to provide housing. It is providing new and used travel trailers, with the first delivered Tuesday, to some of the hardest-hit families.

The families are identified by community partners to ensure the limited supply of trailers gets to those who need them most. Those partners include the Hache Grant Association, the Helio Foundation, the United Houma Nation, the InterTribal Council, the Pointe-au-Chien Tribal Council, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, the Terrebonne NAACP and the Louisiana Shrimp Industry Coalition.

The initial donations came from these groups and businesses:

• Bayou Community Foundation: $500,000.
• Chevron: $100,000.
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation: $250,000.
• Chandamuri Foundation: $100,000.
• BHP: $500,000.

“We truly appreciate the generosity of these donors and their commitment to the bayou region. We have got a lot of work ahead of us, and these donations will assist in our efforts to provide stable housing for our citizens in Terrebonne Parish,” Terrebonne Parish President Gordy Dove said in a news release.

The Terrebonne Economic Development Foundation and the business organizations will continue to seek additional donations to implement a second phrase of the program, officials said.

Anyone can donate to the Bayou Business Community Housing Initiative at paypal.com/paypalme/TEDFO or call the foundation at 873-6890.

Those who need emergency housing may contact any of the community partners listed above.