Louisiana Governor's Office explores final options for Ida Shelter residents on eviction day

As the Ida Shelters eviction date ends, the state explores last-ditch options for Hurricane Ida survivors.

The Louisiana state-sponsored Ida Shelters program ended today, Tuesday, April 30, but Director of the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Jacques Thibodeaux said it is making a final play to assist Ida Shelter residents. 

The Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness requested an Attorney General's opinion on the prospect of selling the campers at a reduced cost to residents. The response was received Friday, April 26, and Thibodeaux said this office was wrapping up digesting the opinion. While the governments decide on what to do next, Thibodeaux said Ida Shelter Residents, numbering 552 state-wide, would not be evicted yet.

"We're not lining trucks up to go pick these up," Thibodeaux said. "The most important thing is they have to stay in touch with their case managers."

According to Thibodeaux, the department now has two options opened to them by the AG's opinion: donating the campers to the parish governments, or selling the campers to the inhabitants at the appraised value.

The opinion says that the state cannot donate tax-purchased property to individuals, but after an appraisal determining the value of the trailer - which residents have been living in for up to three years - the state could sell it at that price, Thibodeaux said, potentially saving the state dollars in the long run that it would have to spend collecting its property.

The director said he is setting up a meeting date with the parish governments soon to decide what the next step is.

"That's going to be our first call with the parishes, to say 'okay look, this is the Attorney General's opinion, option one says you can sign for it. Option number two says that we cannot make a donation, however what we can do is utilize cost value and sell the trailers to individuals at reduced cost,'" Thibodeaux said.

Terrebonne Parish Director of Communications Robbie Lee said the parish recently extended its emergency declaration another 30 days, allowing time for permitting and zoning of these campers to be determined. He said the parish is open to accepting the campers pending more information from the state on what that would look like.

As for option two, Lee said, the parish also would not oppose the campers being sold to residents.

Lafourche Parish President Archie Chaisson was not available for comment.