Pelican State News

LAKE CHARLES – On May 24, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) visited the home of Ms. Lucille Hebert, which was damaged by Hurricane Laura in 2020. Ms. Hebert, who is 92 years old, will be able to return to her home due to Cassidy’s efforts which resulted in the reallocation of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding to Lake Charles. 

“Refusing to quit is the first step in rebuilding. With the help of our fellow Americans, Mrs. Hebert has rebuilt,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Since rebuilding communities happens one house at a time, her refusal to quit helps us all.”

Ms. Hebert visited with Cassidy and Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter in her home. She never gave up hope that she would return there, despite the hurricane.

“Since 2020, it has been my dream to return to the home I have lived in for more than 60 years,” said Ms. Hebert. “There were times I was not sure how or when it would happen, but I never gave up hope. After seeing Mayor Hunter on TV, speaking about this program one night, I told my daughter I knew I was going to be able to go home. I prayed and prayed and God answered. I am so thankful to be back home now, where I can continue to pray for everyone working to rebuild our city.”

In addition to his efforts mentioned above, Cassidy has long supported Southwest Louisiana’s recovery from Laura. In September of 2021, Cassidy included supplemental disaster assistance for the victims of natural disasters, including Hurricanes Laura, Ida, and Delta, in a continuing resolution to fund the government until December 3, 2021.

The following month, HUD announced it would send the Louisiana Office of Community Development over $590 million in community development block grants to help Louisiana recover from the storms. Additionally, in March of 2022, Louisiana received another $450 million in supplemental disaster aid for Hurricanes Laura and Delta, including direct money for Lake Charles.

Earlier, Cassidy hosted his eighth Rural Community Funding Summit this year. The summit connected local elected officials and community leaders with federal agencies such as the USDA Rural Development, the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Energy, and the U.S. Small Business Administration. Numerous state agencies were also present. 

Agency representatives discussed how attendees can receive money from Cassidy’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to improve water and sewage, extend broadband Internet, and mitigate the risk of flooding.

At the summit, Mayor Hunter introduced Cassidy.

“We are very appreciative of the efforts Senator Cassidy is making to connect local agencies with federal resources and thank him for personally being in Lake Charles this morning,” said Mayor Hunter. “We had the opportunity to speak one-on-one about our ongoing hurricane recovery efforts. The greatest honor of the morning was visiting the home of Ms. Lucille Hebert. The city was able to help Ms. Hebert through our Lake Charles Housing Rehabilitation Recovery Program. Senator Cassidy played a pivotal role in helping us secure HUD funding for this program. Ms. Hebert is back in her home thanks to these funds and this program.”

Original source can be found here.