PROGRAM COST

• $169M

COMPLETION DATE

• March 2017

In August 2016, the State of Louisiana experienced the most significant widespread flooding that ever occurred in the state. Due to a shortage of temporary housing in the greater Baton Rouge and Lafayette areas, the STEP program was activated to support the displaced population across a 26-parish geography. The STEP program was designed to provide temporary repairs to homes, so homeowners could shelter in place while permanent repairs were ongoing. H2Bravo was contracted as part of the project team by the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) to develop and implement the $168M Shelter at Home (SAH) Program. The project team mobilized over 250 people in 2 days, opening a call center, taking applications, and deploying damage assessors to initiate the program. Damage assessors conducted joint site visits with the contractors to determine the scope of work and work orders were issued daily. The team organized, trained, and deployed 180 damage assessors and 9 general construction contractors to conduct construction operations within 5 days, ramping up to over 340 project completions per day, with over 2,200 total construction workers in the field. The program reduced the need for FEMA temporary housing and provided the minimum decent, safe, and sanitary living environment. In total, over 21,000 applications were received, over 12,500 damage assessments conducted, and 10,627 houses completed within 90 calendar days.