NEW ORLEANS — Mayor LaToya Cantrell and City of New Orleans officials announced the receipt of a $340,000 federal grant to elevate the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club headquarters in the Treme neighborhood to make it more resilient in the face of future flood events.
“Zulu is an invaluable part of our carnival culture, and its headquarters is a gem of the Treme community,” said Cantrell. “Zulu also has experienced a challenging year in 2020 considering the flooding that constantly threatens the stability of their historic headquarters. That’s why we’re excited to see this project become a reality.”
The historic structure, built in 1920, has experienced repeated flooding and as a result has been designated a Severe Repetitive Loss property by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. That designation made the property a candidate for FEMA’s Flood Mitigation Assistance Program, which provides funding to reduce the flood risk to buildings insured by the National Flood Insurance Program.
In 2018, the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness worked with the Zulu organization to develop a funding application to elevate the structure and was notified of the award earlier this fall. The approximately $340,000 award will fund 100% of the elevation project and will bring the building to one foot above the base flood elevation, consistent with the City’s modern building codes. This is the first-ever elevation grant secured by the City for a non-residential property and is expected to be completed by Spring 2022.
Owners of residential or commercial properties who are interested in seeking elevation assistance can contact NOHSEP’s Hazard Mitigation Office by emailing hazardmitigation@nola.gov. To be eligible for elevation assistance, properties must be insured by NFIP.
