BATON ROUGE – A new roof can be expensive for anyone, and for many homeowners without a steady income, it's something they simply can't afford.
The Louisiana Housing Corporation has partnered with legislators and others to ensure adequate housing is available to people.
A house is not complete without a proper roof. Mary August lives in Baton Rouge and after years of wear and tear, she noticed something.
“My house was actually leaking,” August said.
August noticed her home needed help and her daughter suggested the Blue Tarp program.
In its first year, the program started with a budget of $500,000, and now that the state has committed $1 million, State Senator Regina Barrow has been working with the Louisiana Housing Corporation to provide new roofs or make repairs.
“We didn't build very many houses in the first year, but I know we did a few, and I kept pushing and talking about how important it was,” Barrow said.
August says it didn't take long before she got the call that she was getting a new roof.
“I was thrilled,” August said. “I didn’t know what to think.”
Grants are capped at $15,000 and applicants must have an income that is 60 percent or less of the area median income.