By Office of Congresswoman Julia Letlow
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Julia Letlow (LA-05) has joined Minority Whip Steve Scalise (LA-01), Congressman Garret Graves (LA-06), Congressman Clay Higgins (LA-03) and Congressman Troy Carter (LA-02) in sending a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, asking them to speed up the completion of Operation Blue Roof. In the wake of Hurricane Ida, more than 62,000 Louisiana households have applied for assistance under the program, but only 3,743 installations have been completed to date.
The bipartisan group noted that while the Corps is dedicating additional resources to the program, even the advanced completion rate will not meet the pressing need in Southeast Louisiana.
“While we appreciate the accelerated speed under this ramp up, at that rate it would take approximately 98 days to complete installation for every applicant under the Blue Roof program,” the letter states. “This timeframe is unacceptable and will lead to additional damage to homes while people’s roofs remain exposed to the elements.”
The letter also included a request for the Corps to provide regular updates on the status of the program to Louisiana’s Congressional Delegation, including regular reports of the number of households served on a parish-by-parish basis.
To read a copy of the full letter, click HERE.