Select Recovery and Grants Projects
St. Tammany Parish, La Community Needs Assessment, Consolidated Plans, and Action Plans for 2023-2027
In support of the Parish’s 2023-2027 application to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Community Development Block Grant Entitlement Program (CDBG-ENT), Desire Line completed a Community Needs Assessment and 2023-2027 Annual CDBG Action Plans. Work produced detailed budget allocations, program designs, and objectives aimed at fulfilling identified unmet community needs related to public health, transportation, hazard exposure, housing, medical services, infrastructure, Veterans’ services, and communities with limited English proficiency. The Assessment includes innovative programs to provide much-needed expansion of shelter facilities, infrastructure repairs to support critical groundwater quality, and a program to provide NFIP premium assistance to residents. The program development and assessment process engaged community input through stakeholder meetings, surveys, and public forums to ensure a strategically aligned, inclusive approach to future community development and resource allocation. The Parish’s CDBG-ENT application was successfully submitted and awarded funds in 2023 for years 2023-2027.
City of Clute, Tx
CDBG-MIT Grant Management & Monitoring Services
As a subcontractor to CSRS, Desire Line provides continued grant management, monitoring, and reporting support, including project startup, procurement; project design review and coordination; project bidding, construction, and close-out; grant compliance, draw down and reporting; pre-audit and monitoring preparation services. Specialized support particular to this project has included project rescoping in compliance with Texas General Land Office to ensure HUD and state individual beneficiary eligibility requirements continue to be met; subcontractor finance administration and contracting support including invoice review and correction; review of modified eligible costs (allocatable and reasonable); and budget gate management regarding maximum costs associated with each project phase.
St. James Parish, La
CDBG-DR RCIP Program Management
Desire Line is programing, managing, and ensuring compliance of the Parish’s 2020-2021 CDBG Economic Development and Infrastructure Storms Allocation. Services include (1) preparation and submission of Recovery Proposals, (2) ensuring proposed programs are consistent with regional and state plans and Parish recovery priorities; (3) determining program adherence to CDBG guidelines and eligibility; (4) completing and submitting all Recovery Proposals and related documents, and securing approvals from the Office of Community Development; (5) meeting OCD milestones for projects; (6) assisting the Parish in meeting financial and administrative requirements; (7) assisting the Parish with procurement, contract administration, and construction progress; (8) preparing performance reports and closeout documents, and (9) ongoing document management, program guidance, and technical support.
University of New Orleans, Research and Technology Foundation, Louisiana Future Energy EDA Build Back Better Grant
Administration and Grant Management Services
Desire Line, as Prime Consultant, is providing EDA grant administration and grants management services—including project, financial, and monitoring and compliance services—to support implementation of UNO’s Research and Technology Foundation $12M EDA Build Back Better Challenge Grant, which is for the construction of a green hydrogen planning hub within The Beach at UNO. The grant is a part of a larger Louisiana H2theFuture Coalition that aims to advance energy transformation in South Louisiana in partnership with the LA Office of Economic Development.
Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government, La
FEMA Post-Disaster Recovery Planning and Substantial Damage Estimates (SDE)
Desire Line completed 35,000 FEMA substantial damage determinations (or SDEs) in coordination with Terrebonne Parish Planning Department in fulfillment of minimum FEMA NFIP requirements in the wake of Hurricane Ida (2021), as well as documented recommended recovery programs, unmet needs, and potential sources of grant funding to support long-term recovery efforts. Desire Line utilized Survey123 and innovative in-house software to support expeditious and accurate completion of this work, which was highlighted by FEMA in an APA workshop in 2022 as the highest and best approach to conduct SDE recovery work.
Terrebonne Parish Consolidated Government, La
Innovative Permit Support Tool
After completing all SDEs in the Parish, Desire Line reviewed and issued over 1,000 recovery permits in less than 2 months. This was accomplished via an innovative, in-house Permit Support Tool that the Parish now continues to use to cut down on permit processing time. Desire Line continues to provide technical support to help ensure FEMA NFIP compliance for over 800 substantially damaged properties.
Terrebonne Parish Permit Lookup Tool reduces permit issuance time by 30 minutes per permit. Tool was developed and is maintained by Desire Line to support local office efficiency by aggregating permit data in real-time across multiple data platforms to streamline permit clerks workflows and account for significant interruptions from calls and walk-ins.
City of Kenner, La
FEMA Post-Disaster Recovery Planning and Substantial Damage Estimates (SDE)
Desire Line completed a comprehensive review and reinspection of FEMA substantial damage determinations in coordination with the City of Kenner Inspection and Code Enforcement Department, in fulfillment of minimum FEMA NFIP requirements in the wake of Hurricane Ida (2021), as well as documented recommended recovery programs, unmet needs, and potential sources of grant funding to support long-term recovery efforts.
Port of South Louisiana, La
Strategic Grants Management
Desire Line has submitted multiple federal grant applications on behalf of the Port via a Master Service Agreement as a prime contractor providing planning and grant management services to develop more creative, specialized, competitive grants that further the Port’s long-term development strategy, including improving existing grant competitiveness, developing comprehensive “Mega Grants,” and recommending more comprehensive long-term community engagement and planning efforts.
Tulane, La
ReCoast & Glass Half Full Coastal Restoration Projects, Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes, La
Tulane’s ReCoast, in partnership with Glass Half Full, an organization dedicated to finding beneficial use for recycled glass, is working to restore eroded marshland and shoreline in the Bayou Pointe au Chien-Grand Bayou area along the common boundary between Lafourche and Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana. Desire Line is supporting permitting and environmental clearance for the Tulane-Glass Half Full Team projects that utilize fill composed of a mixture of ground glass sand and Bonnet Carre river silt to sustainability restore land and construct barriers in these areas. Services include permitting review and advice, submittal, solicitation of views, management of a project website, plan development, and coordination between the project team, the grantee (National Science Foundation) and federal and state agencies with regulatory oversight to support project implementation.
Learn more about the project here: https://www.desire-line.com/recoast
Learn more about ReCoast here: ReCoast (recycleforthecoast.org)
Learn more about Glass Half Full Here: https://glasshalffull.co/
