The Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program survey opened on Monday, April 10, on the restore.la.gov website.

This brief survey — completed either online or over the phone — is the first step in the program. In addition to the website, residents can take the survey over the phone by calling 866-735-2001. The call center is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and is also able to assist callers with completing the survey on their mobile device if necessary.

Meanwhile, the state Office of Community Development strongly urges flood-impacted homeowners against letting third parties help complete the survey in return for a fee. There is no charge to complete the survey, and residents should not give personal information to these third parties.

Also note that residents will have time to take the survey. The homeowner assistance program is not based on a first-come, first-served process. The survey will be available for several weeks.

The survey should take less than 15 minutes and does not require documentation, although it is helpful to have a FEMA identification number on hand.

If, based on their answers, respondents potentially qualify for assistance, they’ll be invited to apply for the program when their application phase opens. Phase 1 applicants will likely be invited to start applying in May. Documentation will be needed when the formal application begins.

Even if they don’t think they’ll qualify, all flood-impacted homeowners are urged to complete the survey.

In the meantime, please check restore.la.gov and the Recovery Resources page for many helpful links, especially the Disaster Case Management Program. Offered through the Louisiana Department of Health, this is a free service that helps families find resources.

In addition, all flood-impacted residents are asked to sign up for email updates through the Restore Louisiana website, restore.la.gov. This is the fastest way to find out information.