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First Group of Residents Resettling at The New Isle Community Celebrated by Louisiana Governor

Louisiana – On August 24, 2022, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards was joined by state and local leaders, as well as representatives from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), to commemorate the first group of former Isle de Jean Charles residents who received the keys to their new homes at The New Isle resettlement community near Schriever, Louisiana in Terrebonne Parish. This first phase included 12 new homeowners, and the complex would eventually comprise 37 homes for past inhabitants. Approximately 96 people will relocate to The New Isle, the majority by the end of the year.

The New Isle is a first-of-its-kind government endeavor to relocate populations from locations affected by climate change, including more frequent and severe hurricanes, storms, and continual floods, to higher and safer ground. Isle de Jean Charles, roughly 40 miles south of the new site, has lost 98 percent of its land since 1955 and is becoming more vulnerable by the year.

“Today is a new day for the proud residents of Isle de Jean Charles as they take ownership of their new homes in a safer and more resilient community,” said Louisiana Governor Edwards. “Getting to this day has not been easy, but I’m grateful to the tribal leaders, the residents, HUD, the Office of Community Development led by Pat Forbes, and everyone whose hard work made this day possible. To understand how a once sprawling and vibrant community of thousands of acres has dwindled to little more than a few hundred is to understand the real consequences of climate change. The residents of Isle de Jean Charles did not want to leave their island; on the contrary, the island left them. They deserved and needed help, which is why our state invested years of planning, outreach, design and construction into The New Isle resettlement community. This is a nationally and internationally observed and eagerly awaited event for us all.

“Coastal Louisiana is experiencing subsidence, relative sea level rise and coastal land loss faster than anywhere in the country. Fortunately, we’re on the leading edge of resilience-building approaches to adaptation, drawing on innovative science and technology right here in Louisiana.”

The resettlement effort has been centered on creating a safe environment for inhabitants to live that reflects the island community’s distinctive culture, history, and diversity, which is primarily comprised of individuals of American Indian descent.

Following the preferences of the residents of Isle de Jean Charles, the state purchased a 515-acre stretch of high terrain about 40 miles north of the island in 2018. The state then created and built The New Isle neighborhood in close collaboration with the locals, which contains single-family houses, an event area where residents may organize powwows, festivals, and other cultural events, as well as a market and community center.

The relocation is made possible by a $48 million grant from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development as part of the 2016 National Disaster Resilience Competition. The Isle de Jean Charles resettlement and the $40 million LA SAFE program, which supports resilience projects in six coastal parishes, were among Louisiana’s winning applications.

Homes on The New Isle are available to island residents as well as people who have been displaced after Hurricane Isaac made landfall in 2012. (Option A). Those who were relocated prior to Isaac can also rejoin the Isle de Jean Charles community by constructing their own homes on free lots (Option B).

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