$181M more going to storm victims

The Clarion-Ledger, 9/4/8

More homeowners struggling to recover from Hurricane Katrina will get help from the state, officials said Wednesday.

The decision to add an extra $181 million in federal money to the Homeowners Assistance Program has been in the works for months and has nothing to do with Hurricane Gustav, officials said.

The Homeowners Assistance Program, now totaling more than $2.1 billion, provides grants of up to $150,000 for residents who were flooded in the lower three counties of Hancock, Harrison and Jackson. The deadline to apply for a grant was March 15.