NEW ORLEANS — If you want to apply for the state’s Fortified Roof Lottery, the clock is ticking.
Friday at 5 p.m., an online application that could get you up to $10,000 towards an upgraded roof will close.
Geraldine Gray made a lifetime of memories under the roof of her double shotgun home in Uptown.
“My husband passed away then my son passed away, and I’ve been trying to keep it up,” Geraldine Gray said.
Now water leaks through it, and the 92-year-old says she has no one left to help her.
“I need to have this roof repaired, and I can’t afford it,” Gray said.
To help cover the costs, Geraldine wanted to apply for the state’s fortified roof grant, but the application is only available on the internet, something Geraldine doesn’t know how to use.
“Now, I’m calling out for help,” Gray said.
WWL Louisiana answered that call for help on Thursday, then made a few of our own.
Chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee Kirk Talbot called us back, saying there are options for people like Geraldine.
“People that don’t have access to the internet or a don’t have access to a cell phone, they can call upon a landline," Louisiana State Senator and Chairman of the Senate Insurance Committee, Kirk Talbot said. "And there is a consumer assistance program within the Department of Insurance that can help them through that process,” he said.
Talbot says applications are chosen through a lottery process, and homeowners selected could get up to $10,000 towards a roof designed to withstand hurricane-force winds.
“Basically, it’s a roof that won’t blow off,” Talbot said.
According to the State Senator, once the new roof is up, your insurance premium should go down.
“If you have a fortified roof on your home, insurance companies will fall all over themselves to insure you,” Talbot said.
After Geraldine sends in her application, she says she’ll make one more call, hoping a new roof for her memories is the answer.
If you know someone who doesn’t have access to the internet or may need assistance sending in their application, call 225-342-0111.
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