New program could help floodplain homeowners in La Crosse

Money could help improve
homes before going on market

Andrea Richmond has high hopes for floodplain homeowners.

The northside city council member has been fighting more than a decade to help homeowners get their homes out of the FEMA floodplain maps.

Now, a new program from the city planning office to do just that seems to show promise, according to Richmond.

“Next year should be a good year to get some of them out of the floodplain,” Richmond said.

Richmond, also on the city’s Floodplain Advisory Committee, thinks much of the city’s floodplain problem could be helped by the new plan within 10 years.  

The city plans to use some federal block grant money to help low income homeowners and a home equity matching grants to do improvements before a house goes on the market.