/ Simon Naquin and his fiancé have selected interior and exterior color schemes for their new home on The New Isle. Officials say the homes should be complete by next year.
On a recent Wednesday, state employees with the Office of Community Development welcomed Louisianans as they pulled into what will soon be their new driveway. They handed out information folders and showed residents to the empty plots of land where their new homes will one day stand. Signs mark the names of future residents: Chaisson. Dardar. Billiot. Naquin. Brunet.
They’re coming from the tiny island of Isle de Jean Charles, about 26 miles southeast of Houma. The community is on the frontlines of that land loss, and about six years ago, the state received a federal grant on behalf of the residents to help them move to safety.