From August 23, 2026, to September 7, 2026, the Highland Center will receive public comment on the proposed project activities to be submitted as a pre-application for FFY26 Housing Preservation Grant (HPG) funds.
Fiscal Year 2026 – Proposed Seven-Parish Northwest Louisiana Program
The Highland Center proposes to operate a Housing Preservation Grant (HPG) program serving eligible low- and very-low-income households within Caddo, Bossier, Bienville, Claiborne, DeSoto, Red River, and Webster Parishes.
The proposed program will preserve 12 homes/units, consisting of 10 homeowner rehabilitation projects and 2 rental rehabilitation units. No cooperative housing assistance is proposed. The Highland Center requests $180,000 in HPG funds.
The Highland Center will provide HPG assistance to eligible low- and very-low-income homeowners whose homes require rehabilitation to correct documented health, safety, structural, accessibility, habitability, or other eligible housing deficiencies. Assistance will be based on the documented needs of each property and will be approved following an inspection and rehabilitation assessment.
Eligible homeowner rehabilitation activities may include necessary repairs to roofs, foundations, electrical systems, plumbing, heating and cooling systems, water and wastewater systems, windows and doors, insulation and weatherization, accessibility improvements, and other eligible repairs necessary to preserve safe, decent, sanitary, and affordable housing.
The Highland Center will also assist 2 rental housing units occupied by eligible low- and very-low-income households. Rental rehabilitation assistance will address eligible deficiencies necessary to preserve the units as safe, decent, sanitary, and affordable housing.
Each assisted rental unit will be subject to the applicable USDA Rural Development affordability and occupancy requirements for the required period established in the approved rental property agreement and applicable HPG requirements.
Pending approval from USDA, each of the two rental units assisted through the HPG program will be subject to a restrictive covenant requiring the unit to remain available to eligible low- and very-low-income households for a minimum period of five (5) years following completion of the HPG-funded rehabilitation. The covenant will be recorded against the property and will establish applicable occupancy, affordability, and use requirements for the full affordability period.
HPG assistance will be provided only to eligible recipients and eligible properties. The Highland Center will verify household, property, ownership, occupancy, and income eligibility before assistance is approved and will maintain applicable agreements, certifications, security instruments, affordability or occupancy documentation, rehabilitation records, and other required documents.
The Highland Center will use a fair, consistent, and documented process for identifying and selecting eligible recipients throughout the seven-parish service area. Outreach will provide information about eligibility, required documentation, application procedures, and available rehabilitation assistance.
Applicants will be screened for applicable HPG income and eligibility requirements. Required household, property, ownership, occupancy, and income documentation will be reviewed before final approval. Priority will be given to eligible low- and very-low-income households with documented conditions affecting health, safety, habitability, accessibility, structural integrity, or long-term preservation.
Each proposed property will receive an inspection or rehabilitation assessment identifying deficiencies and establishing a written scope of work and estimated cost.
Following determination of eligibility and rehabilitation needs, The Highland Center will develop work specifications and obtain required cost information or contractor proposals. Qualified contractors or other approved providers will perform authorized work.
The Highland Center will monitor rehabilitation against the approved scope, budget, and applicable requirements. Progress inspections will be conducted as appropriate. Significant changes, contractor performance, invoices, payments, and other project activities will be documented.
A final inspection will verify satisfactory completion of the approved work. For final inspections, The Highland Center will use a disinterested qualified third party as required by USDA Rural Development.
Complete property files will include eligibility, inspection, work, cost, payment, completion, and other required records and will be available to USDA Rural Development for monitoring, reporting, and oversight.
For the two assisted rental units, The Highland Center will establish a long-term monitoring system for the full required affordability period. At least annually, the organization will verify continued compliance with applicable occupancy, tenant-income, affordability, and property-condition requirements.
The Highland Center will maintain documentation of annual monitoring and will report required information to USDA Rural Development. Any identified deficiencies or instances of noncompliance will be addressed in accordance with the applicable rental agreement and USDA Rural Development requirements.
The Highland Center will comply with applicable USDA Rural Development environmental review requirements. Environmental review will be incorporated into project review and approval and completed before rehabilitation activities requiring environmental clearance begin.
For each property, The Highland Center will identify the proposed work and provide required property and project information for environmental review. Conditions that may require additional review, documentation, mitigation, consultation, or approval will be addressed before work proceeds. The Highland Center will maintain documentation of environmental reviews, determinations, clearances, mitigation measures, and related correspondence.
The organization will coordinate with USDA Rural Development and follow applicable environmental requirements, including those applicable to HPG rehabilitation projects and any project-specific environmental conditions identified by Rural Development.
The Highland Center will use applicable USDA Rural Development standards for existing dwellings as the development standard for HPG-funded rehabilitation. Rehabilitation will address documented deficiencies and preserve safe, decent, sanitary, accessible, and affordable housing.
Work may include roof repair or replacement; foundation and structural repairs; electrical and plumbing repairs; heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning repairs; water and wastewater repairs; insulation and weatherization; windows and doors; accessibility improvements; and other eligible preservation activities.
Where required, The Highland Center will obtain applicable local building permits and ensure that work complies with applicable federal, state, and local codes and requirements.
If a different development standard is proposed for a particular activity, The Highland Center will obtain the required jurisdictional acceptance and USDA Rural Development approval before using that standard.
Rehabilitation work will be documented through inspections, written work specifications, cost estimates, contractor documentation, progress monitoring, final inspections, and required permits or approvals.
The Highland Center proposes a 24-month project period.
Months 1–3: Program start-up, procedures, outreach, applications, eligibility review, and establishment of project files.
Months 2–6: Property inspections, rehabilitation assessments, preliminary scopes of work, cost estimates, environmental review, and property selection.
Months 5–18: Final work specifications, contractor proposals or bids, agreements, rehabilitation, progress monitoring, inspections, and invoice review.
Months 12–21: Completion of remaining rehabilitation projects, final inspections, corrective work, and collection of final documentation.
Months 21–24: Final property files, expenditure reconciliation, required reporting, evaluation, and project closeout.
The Highland Center expects to complete rehabilitation of 12 homes/units during the 24-month period. The schedule may be adjusted for property-specific needs, contractor availability, environmental review, weather, permitting, or other implementation circumstances. Significant changes will be communicated to USDA Rural Development as required.
The Highland Center will maintain adequate staffing to administer, monitor, and complete the HPG program.
Jarcelet Harris, Director of Housing & Financial Support Services, will provide program-level oversight and coordination, including implementation, applicant and property review, recipient selection support, housing preservation coordination, project monitoring, documentation, and reporting.
Trevonya Riggs, Housing & Financial Services Coordinator, will provide program support under the direction of organizational leadership and Housing & Financial Support Services staff. Responsibilities may include outreach, applicant intake and documentation, file organization, program tracking, housing and financial education support, communication, reporting, and data tracking.
Madison Poche, Executive Director, will provide organizational leadership, management oversight, and compliance oversight.
Qualified contractors, inspectors, consultants, and other specialized professionals will be used as necessary for property inspections, rehabilitation, cost estimates, and other services requiring specialized qualifications.
The Highland Center will maintain written staff responsibilities and adequate personnel throughout the project period.
The proposed program will assist 12 homes/units, consisting of 10 homeowner rehabilitation projects and 2 rental rehabilitation units.
Household size, income, occupancy, and eligibility will be documented for each assisted property.
Based on the demographic characteristics of households served through The Highland Center's existing housing and financial support services and the expected applicant profile, The Highland Center anticipates assisting approximately 31 persons in 12 households, including:
Category/ Estimated Persons
Very-low-income minority persons: 17
Very-low-income nonminority persons: 2
Low-income minority persons: 10
Low-income nonminority persons: 2
VIII. Geographic Service Area
The Highland Center will provide HPG assistance throughout the Seven-Parish Northwest Louisiana Region:
The program will serve eligible low- and very-low-income households in both urban and rural communities within the proposed service area, with emphasis on preserving existing housing and addressing documented rehabilitation needs.
The Highland Center proposes an HPG project budget of $180,000, all of which is requested from USDA Rural Development.
The Highland Center may pursue additional public, private, charitable, donated, or in-kind resources during the project period. However, no such resources are included as committed resources in the proposed HPG budget at this time. The proposed budget includes approximately $161,540.00 for rehabilitation and contracts and $18,460.00 to implement the program, including personnel, fringe benefits, travel, and other indirect costs.
The Highland Center anticipates drawing HPG funds as eligible expenses are incurred, documented, and approved. Draw requests will be supported by required invoices, payment documentation, rehabilitation records, inspections, and other required records.
The Highland Center will administer HPG in accordance with applicable federal and USDA Rural Development requirements governing indirect costs.
Because The Highland Center receives other federal funding, the organization will provide the applicable indirect-cost proposal, rate documentation, or other documentation required by USDA Rural Development.
HPG will be charged indirect costs only to the extent permitted by the approved HPG budget and applicable federal requirements. The Highland Center does not have an approved negotiated indirect cost rate at this time and will seek to use the de minimis rate or another allowable methodology.
The Highland Center uses its established accounting and financial-management procedures, with additional procedures as needed to meet HPG requirements.
HPG funds and expenditures will be separately identified and tracked, with records sufficient to document the source and use of funds and demonstrate that expenditures are allowable, reasonable, supported, and consistent with the approved budget.
Supporting records will include invoices, receipts, contractor payment documentation, rehabilitation records, inspection records, and other applicable financial documentation.
Expenditures will be monitored against the approved budget and financial records reconciled regularly.
The organization will maintain appropriate internal controls to help prevent unauthorized expenditures, conflicts of interest, errors, and misuse of funds. Financial records will be retained for the required period and made available to USDA Rural Development for monitoring, review, audit, and reporting.
The Highland Center will evaluate program effectiveness throughout the 24-month project period.
Program measures will include:
Property condition before rehabilitation and completed work after rehabilitation will be documented through inspections and completion records.
Leadership and program staff will compare actual accomplishments and expenditures with the approved budget and schedule and will address delays, budget concerns, incomplete work, or other issues.
The Highland Center will submit required quarterly and final reports to USDA Rural Development. Evaluation results will be used to strengthen program administration, outreach, recipient services, and housing preservation outcomes.
No matching funds or other financial resources are committed to the proposed project at this time. However, the Highland Center will seek supplemental public, private, charitable, donated, or in-kind resources during the project period when appropriate.
Potential resources may include local or state housing programs, community development resources, private foundation grants, corporate and community contributions, charitable or faith-based organizations, donated materials, volunteer labor, contractor discounts, and other eligible resources.
Any resources subsequently obtained will be documented and coordinated with HPG funds to avoid duplication of benefits and to comply with applicable funding-source requirements. The $180,000 HPG request is not dependent upon receipt of matching funds.
The Highland Center does not anticipate generating program income from the proposed HPG project and does not anticipate charging fees or receiving income from assisted households as a result of HPG-funded rehabilitation.
If program income is generated, the organization will identify, document, account for, track, use, and report it in accordance with USDA Rural Development and applicable federal requirements.
The Highland Center will use the security instruments and legal documentation required by USDA Rural Development for HPG assistance. For each assisted property, the organization will complete applicable agreements, certifications, security instruments, affordability or occupancy requirements, and other required documents. Executed documents will be maintained in the appropriate property files and monitored for compliance.
If The Highland Center ceases to maintain its legal status or is otherwise unable to continue administering security instruments associated with HPG assistance, The Highland Center will coordinate with USDA Rural Development regarding the transfer or other disposition of those instruments. Any transfer or disposition will be conducted in accordance with applicable law and USDA Rural Development direction, with the intent that the rights, restrictions, affordability requirements, and other interests securing the HPG assistance remain protected.
The Highland Center proposes to preserve and rehabilitate existing housing for eligible low- and very-low-income households throughout the Seven-Parish Northwest Louisiana Region. The program will assist 12 homes/units—10 homeowner rehabilitation projects and 2 rental rehabilitation units—with $180,000 in requested HPG funds.
The program will address documented health, safety, structural, accessibility, habitability, energy-efficiency, and other eligible preservation needs. The program will be administered by Madison Poche, Executive Director; Jarcelet Harris, Director of Housing & Financial Support Services; Trevonya Riggs, Housing & Financial Services AmeriCorps VISTA member; and qualified contractors or other professionals as needed.
The Highland Center will maintain program, financial, property, and recipient records and will coordinate with USDA Rural Development regarding program administration, environmental review, rehabilitation standards, reporting, monitoring, and other applicable requirements.
The Highland Center will conduct comprehensive outreach throughout Caddo, Bossier, Bienville, Claiborne, DeSoto, Red River, and Webster Parishes to identify eligible low- and very-low-income households with housing preservation needs.
Outreach methods will include community events and presentations; housing and financial education; flyers, brochures, and printed information; The Highland Center website and social media; nonprofit and community partners; faith-based organizations; senior-serving organizations and community centers; housing counseling and financial support services; social-service referrals; word-of-mouth and community referral networks; and direct outreach in communities with identified housing needs.
The Highland Center will work with nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations, housing agencies, local governments, social-service providers, senior-serving organizations, and other community partners.
Outreach will include efforts to reach rural and underserved households that may have limited transportation, technology, or access to housing-assistance information.
Outreach and recipient selection will be conducted fairly and in accordance with applicable federal, state, local, and USDA Rural Development requirements. The Highland Center will maintain appropriate records of outreach activities, contacts, referrals, and applications.
To comment on this proposal, please contact the Highland Center by phone at (318) 673-8440, by mail at 520 Olive Street, Shreveport, LA 71104, or by email at hey@highlandcenter.org.