Blue tarps cover roofs in Larose in October 2021, six weeks after Hurricane Ida. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple wants to make a state roof fortification grant program available to more low- and moderate-income homeowners. (Wes Muller/Louiisiana Illuminator)
Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says he might focus one of the state’s next rounds of roof fortification grants exclusively on low- and moderate-income households.
The program has had no income limits for grant recipients in its five previous rounds of funding , which started when the grants were launched in 2023.Temple is considering a pilot program with nonprofit groups to target homeowners of more modest means, he said in an interview last week.
Under the proposed plan, nonprofits would work with the insurance department to identify lower-income homeowners who meet qualifications for roof assistance. The nonprofits would provide supplemental funding to households who might not be able to cover the cost of a roof upgrade that goes beyond the state grant, Temple said.