$15K Grant from FHLB Dallas and Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Will Help New Orleans Resident Weather Future Storms

Funds Used to Install FORTIFIED-Standard Roof

NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A longtime New Orleans, Louisiana, resident is rebuilding nearly two decades after Hurricane Katrina damaged her home, thanks in part to a $15,000 Disaster Rebuilding Assistance (DRA) grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas). The DRA grant was awarded through FHLB Dallas member Gulf Coast Bank & Trust to provide a new storm-resistant roof for Gail Micken.

Ms. Micken, a retiree, moved into her home in April 2005. Just a few months later, Hurricane Katrina swept through Louisiana, leaving widespread destruction in its wake. Fortunately, her home, situated on higher ground, was spared from severe flooding. However, the roof sustained significant damage that worsened with time.

“After Katrina and all the smaller storms since, my roof just kept getting worse, and it’s a big house, so I had to fix it in pieces,” Ms. Micken said. “With prices going up and insurance getting harder to afford, this grant was a blessing. It gave me the help I needed to make my home safe again. This program is making a difference for people like me on a fixed income.”

Administered through FHLB Dallas member institutions, DRA provides grants for the repair, rehabilitation and reconstruction of owner-occupied housing affected by disaster events in federally declared disaster areas within FHLB Dallas’s five-state District of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. Ms. Micken’s new roof meets FORTIFIED standards by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), designed to withstand hurricanes, high winds, hail and severe thunderstorms.

“We’re proud to play a role in helping lifelong New Orleans residents like Ms. Micken repair their homes after a natural disaster,” said Brittainy Fields, CRA officer at Gulf Coast Bank & Trust. “Through these grants, we’re not only preserving housing but also strengthening safety and storm preparedness for the future.”

Since 2024, Gulf Coast Bank & Trust has awarded $347,000 in FHLB Dallas DRA grants.

“A FORTIFIED roof is a proactive investment in the quality and longevity of our housing stock,” said Greg Hettrick, senior vice president and Director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas. “By helping homeowners improve and maintain their properties, we’re supporting community stability and giving residents the security and comfort they deserve.”

For 2025, FHLB Dallas set aside $4 million for the DRA program. Learn more about DRA.

About Gulf Coast Bank & Trust

Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company was founded in 1883, offering several personal and business banking services to the communities in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, surrounding the Southeast Louisiana areas and Florida. Banking services include checking and savings accounts with online and mobile banking options as well as personal loans, home loans, business loans and trust and brokerage services. Its mission is to strengthen its relationship with customers by combining the values of old-fashioned community banking that focus on individualized customer service with innovative, competitive banking products and trust and brokerage services.

About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas

The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $116.1 billion as of June 30, 2025, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 800 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit fhlb.com.