ST. LANDRY PARISH — The sound of hammers and nails filled the air outside Lois Handy’s home Monday morning, but she said it was music to her ears.
“Overjoyed. I am overjoyed, and I give it all to God,” Handy said as crews replaced the roof on her home.
The 73-year-old Opelousas resident is one of about 60 homeowners in St. Landry Parish who received roof replacements through the Blue Tarp Program, an initiative of the Louisiana Housing Corporation.
The program provides up to $15,000 in grant funding to help eligible low-income homeowners repair or replace storm-damaged roofs. It serves qualified residents of all ages and aims to ensure safe, stable housing for families across the community.
Handy said years of strong winds, hurricanes and recent storms left her roof damaged, often forcing her and her husband to make temporary repairs.
“That wind would come in and just pull that shingle up, and I paid to get it nailed back down,” she said. “A shingle came off — boom, boom — we tried to fix that, my husband and I.”
When she learned about the Blue Tarp Program, she said she immediately applied.
“I got up, went and did the application and did what I had to do with the paperwork — and bam,” Handy said.
Handy said receiving the roof at no cost felt like a blessing.
“For free — nobody but God,” she said.
The roof replacement comes during an already joyful season for Handy, who recently welcomed a new grandchild.
“That’s what I’m talking about,” she said with a laugh. “She’s so tiny — she’s a preemie. I’m going to be ‘Mama.’ That was my grandmother’s name, so I’m going to be Mama this time.”
State Rep. Dustin Miller and Louisiana Housing Corporation Executive Director Kevin Delahoussaye toured Handy’s home Monday as part of efforts to highlight projects underway across St. Landry Parish.
They will also visited the home of 68-year-old Ronald Faul, who recently received a new roof through the program. Faul said years of storms caused significant damage, leaving multiple leaks inside his home. He said he is thankful for the assistance.
"I started out with a small pan and then ended up with a five-gallon bucket," said Faul. "I'm really blessed to have this roof on my house and now I can stay here for the rest of my life."
Organizers say the two homes represent only a portion of the projects currently underway as the Blue Tarp Program continues to help qualifying homeowners across St. Landry Parish.
If you want to learn more about the Blue Tarp program, click here.
