Joint Information Center, TRO 
New Orleans, LA 
July 9, 2007 
LA-1603-07-07-655 
News Desk: 504-762-2477 
Disaster News 
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND PROJECT WORKSHEETS: THE PATH TO REBUILDING 
NEW ORLEANS  The Federal Emergency Management Agencys (FEMA) public assistance program 
plays an integral role in a communitys disaster recovery process. In Louisiana, the program is one of 
many key forces behind the recovery of state and local governments and certain private nonprofits. 
The public assistance program awards grants to remove debris, demolish structures, carry out emergency 
protective measures, and repair and replace damaged, eligible infrastructure. The most important step in 
the program is project formulation, which includes preparing project worksheets (PW). The PW 
describes the eligible work and scope of work and estimates the costs to repair the damage. In Louisiana, 
35,941 PWs have been written for both hurricanes Katrina and Rita. 
The PW undergoes a thorough review process before being approved and obligated. Once obligated, the 
grant money is transferred to the state to administer and distribute after an applicant requests funding. 
Although the public assistance program is a reimbursement program, the state may advance a portion of 
the funding to help applicants move projects forward. 
FEMA has obligated 34,660 PWs to the state of Louisiana, amounting to more than $4.8 billion of the 
$8 billion gulf wide recently announced by FEMA's Gulf Coast Recovery Office. Louisiana has 
disbursed $2.5 billion of these funds to applicants. The remaining monies are immediately available to 
the parishes as soon as they request the funding and satisfy state requirements. 
An obligated PW does not firmly establish the final amount an applicant will receive, but rather provides 
an early estimate of costs. Throughout the rebuilding process, additional costs may be added to an 
infrastructure project as the architecture and engineering plans take form or hidden damages are 
identified during routine reassessments. Thus, the PW is an evolving document that acts as a historical 
record detailing the life of the grant. 
Recovery after any disaster is difficult, particularly after one of this magnitude, said Jim Stark, FEMA 
director of the Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office. FEMAs public assistance program provides 
supplemental funding to restore and rebuild communities to their pre-disaster function and capacity. We 
will continue to work closely with the state and applicants to move the recovery process forward, and we 
will not stop until all eligible damage is identified and the last dollar is obligated to rebuild Louisiana. 
FEMA is doing everything possible to ensure that each applicant receives the maximum amount of 
assistance they are entitled to under the law. In addition to retraining staff and establishing mentor 
programs for newer public assistance staff, FEMA has also retained experts in various fields to refine 
the needs and cost estimates of projects requested by the state and applicants. To combat applicant 
staffing shortages, FEMA has co-located its staff with state and local counterparts whenever possible. In 
addition, FEMA has a number of liaisons and experts working throughout the impacted areas to assist 
applicants in developing their PW packages. Joint Information Center, TRO 
New Orleans, LA 
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND PROJECT WORKSHEETS  Page 2 
After working with the parishes to identify high priority projects that are crucial to recovery, FEMA has 
given those projects precedence for review and approval. These initiatives, along with Congress recent 
waiver of the 10 percent match, have been successful as evidenced by the high percentage of PWs 
completed to date. For the PWs that have not yet been written, FEMA is ready to engage as soon as the 
applicants are ready and eligible damage is identified. 
While difficulties have arisen, the success of the public assistance program should not be judged by the 
number of problems encountered, but by the number of problems solved. FEMA remains committed to 
Louisiana until all PWs are written and the last penny is obligated to rebuild the state. 
FEMA coordinates the federal governments role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, 
responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts 
of terror. 
# # # 
Editors: For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov. Fact Sheet 
Joint Information Center, TRO 
New Orleans, LA 
July 9, 2007 
FS-1603-07-07 
News Desk: 504-762-2477 
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE STATUS, ORLEANS PARISH 
Public Assistance Funding for Orleans Parish and State Payout, July 6, 2007 
Total federal funds obligated: $1.29 billion 
 Recovery School District - $56 million will provide classroom space for 7,200 students at the 
beginning of the 2007-08 school year. 
 City Park - $11,578,898 in funding will aid the recovery of one of the countrys oldest parks. 
 New Orleans Museum of Art - $1,779,805 was obligated to restore this significant contributor 
to the citys tourism industry and economic recovery. 
# # # 
Some of this public assistance funding went into the following Orleans Parish projects: 
FEMA coordinates the federal governments role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, 
responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts 
of terror. 
Editors: For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov. Fact Sheet 
Joint Information Center, TRO 
New Orleans, LA 
July 9, 2007 
FS-1603-07-07 
News Desk: 504-762-2477 
Some of this public assistance funding went into the following city of New Orleans projects: 
 New Orleans Police Department Crime Lab  Federal funding was used to build a temporary 
facility at the University of New Orleans to process evidence within the state. 
 St. Marys Academy - $8.2 million was obligated to purchase and setup temporary facilities for 
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE STATUS, CITY OF NEW ORLEANS 
Public Assistance Funding for City of New Orleans and State Payout, July 6, 2007 
Total federal funds obligated: $321.3 million 
750 students for the 2007-08 school year. 
 Mahalia Jackson Theater of Performing Arts - $7 million will go towards the home of the 
New Orleans Opera Association and the site of many of the citys Mardi Gras festivities. 
FEMA coordinates the federal governments role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, 
responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts 
of terror. 
# # # 
Editors: For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov. Joint Information Center, TRO 
New Orleans, LA 
July 9, 2007 
FS-1603-07-07 
News Desk: 504-762-2477 Fact Sheet 
Some of this public assistance funding went into the following Jefferson Parish projects: 
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE STATUS, JEFFERSON PARISH 
Public Assistance Funding for Jefferson Parish and State Payout, July 6, 2007 
Total federal funds obligated: $252.5 million 
 Emergency Work  Almost all of the estimated funding for emergency work in Jefferson Parish 
has been obligated. This includes debris removal and emergency protective measures. 
 Sidewalks - $922,000 was obligated to repair sidewalks damaged by toppled trees and debris 
removal equipment. 
 Terrytown Gymnasium - $3,093,162 will fund the replacement of this key facility that supports 
many community activities for youth and seniors. 
# # # 
FEMA coordinates the federal governments role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, 
responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts 
of terror. 
Editors: For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov. Joint Information Center, TRO 
New Orleans, LA 
July 9, 2007 
FS-1603-07-07 
News Desk: 504-762-2477 Fact Sheet 
Some of this public assistance funding went into the following St. Bernard Parish projects: 
 St. Bernard 911 Center - $1,141,000 will be used for a new state-of-the-art Emergency 
Operations and 911 Center to help residents in time of an emergency. 
 St. Bernard Parish Government Complex - $1,378,093 was obligated to restore the parishs 
seat of government. 
 Val Reiss Park - $3,848,489 in obligated funding for all of the parishs parks will be 
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE STATUS, ST. BERNARD PARISH 
Public Assistance Funding for St. Bernard Parish and State Payout, July 6, 2007 
Total federal funds obligated: $733.3 million 
consolidated and used to reopen Val Reiss Park. 
of terror. 
FEMA coordinates the federal governments role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, 
responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts 
# # # 
Editors: For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov. Joint Information Center, TRO 
New Orleans, LA 
July 9, 2007 
FS-1603-07-07 
News Desk: 504-762-2477 Fact Sheet 
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE STATUS, PLAQUEMINES PARISH 
Public Assistance Funding for Plaquemines Parish and State Payout, July 6, 2007 
Total federal funds obligated: $249.8 million 
auditorium. 
of terror. 
Some of this public assistance funding went into the following Plaquemines Parish projects: 
 Plaquemines Medical Center - $755,000 will help Plaquemines Parish establish a temporary 
medical facility to serve the entire community. 
 Belle Chasse Library - $467,703 in funding will help restore the parishs main public library. 
 Belle Chasse Auditorium - $79,849 was obligated to the parishs largest and primary 
FEMA coordinates the federal governments role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, 
responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts 
# # # 
Editors: For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov. Joint Information Center, TRO 
New Orleans, LA 
July 9, 2007 
FS-1603-07-07 
News Desk: 504-762-2477 Fact Sheet 
 St. Tammany Parish Government  Public assistance monies will fund the repairs of this sixstory 
structure that was inundated with water during Hurricane Katrina. 
 Debris - $218,678,000 has been obligated for debris removal throughout St. Tammany Parish. 
 East St. Tammany Events Center - The centers recovery efforts are well underway with 
federal monies reimbursing repairs to the Katrina-damaged building, parking lot and driveways. 
of terror. 
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE STATUS, ST. TAMMANY PARISH 
Public Assistance Funding for St. Tammany Parish and State Payout, July 6, 2007 
Total federal funds obligated: $329.1 million 
Some of this public assistance funding went into the following St. Tammany Parish projects: 
FEMA coordinates the federal governments role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, 
responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts 
# # # 
Editors: For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov. Joint Information Center, TRO 
New Orleans, LA 
July 9, 2007 
FS-1603-07-07 
News Desk: 504-762-2477 Fact Sheet 
Some of this public assistance funding went into the following Calcasieu Parish projects: 
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE STATUS, CALCASIEU PARISH 
Public Assistance Funding for Calcasieu Parish and State Payout, July 6, 2007 
Total federal funds obligated: $82.5 million 
 Debris and Demolition - The removal of debris and the demolition of unsafe structures due to 
Hurricane Rita are complete in the city of Lake Charles, with 54 structures demolished and 
dangerous debris removed from 416 private properties. 
 Public Works  Public assistance funding was used to restore the citys wastewater treatment 
capacity and to replace the public works administration building. 
 Lake Charles Civic Center - $43,508 was obligated to repair this important municipal resource 
that plays host to numerous community, industry and sporting events throughout the year. 
of terror. 
FEMA coordinates the federal governments role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, 
responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts 
# # # 
Editors: For more information on Louisiana disaster recovery, visit www.fema.gov.