A state representative updated the Harahan City Council on legislation passed this year aimed at lowering insurance costs and increasing home storm-mitigation incentives.

The representative said the Legislature passed measures to address high auto-insurance rates and several changes for property insurance. He described a fortified-roof lottery that will again award $10,000 grants to selected homeowners to upgrade to fortified roofs and said the program will receive roughly $30 million this year — up from about $20 million — because the Legislature raised fees on insurance companies to fund it instead of using general taxpayer dollars.

“The fortified roof program…if you get chosen, you get a $10,000 towards a fortified roof,” the presenter said, and urged residents to sign up when the lottery reopens in September. He also cited a state auditor review of prior winners and said they are “saving an average of 22% on their premium.”

The presenter described a new refundable tax-credit program that will provide up to $10,000 in credits for homeowners who pay to install a fortified roof themselves; the program is capped at $10 million total. He said the Department of Revenue will administer the credit and that the credit and lottery are mutually exclusive (a homeowner cannot claim both). He said the credit will open roughly a month after the presentation and advised homeowners to contact the Department of Revenue for details.

He also said the Legislature raised the property-mitigation income-tax deduction from $5,000 to $10,000. He explained the difference between a deduction and a credit during council Q&A: a credit reduces tax liability dollar-for-dollar, while a deduction reduces taxable income.

Council members asked how residents apply for the lottery and about eligibility. The representative directed residents to the Louisiana Department of Insurance website and offered a contact phone number for help with applications and sign-ups.

The representative closed by flagging a likely special legislative session in October to consider contingency congressional redistricting maps following a pending U.S. Supreme Court decision; he said the outcome could affect how districts are drawn statewide.

Why it matters: The new state-level incentives aim to lower homeowner insurance costs by promoting structural mitigation (fortified roofs) and by offering tax relief for mitigation work. Local homeowners and city staff said they intend to promote the lottery and credit to eligible residents.