ALL RIGHT MARGARET, THANK YOU. RESIDENTS WHO LIVE IN A SUBDIVISION IN SLIDELL PRONE TO FLOODING JUST RECEIVED OFFER LETTERS FOR THEIR HOME. IT’S ALL PART OF A BUYOUT PROGRAM BEING OFFERED STATEWIDE. WDSU REPORTER ARIELLE BRUMFIELD LIVE IN SAINT TAMMANY PARISH TO EXPLAIN WHY SOME PEOPLE LIVING IN AVERY ESTATES SAY THEY AMOUNT OFFERED IS TOO LOW. ARIELLE. WELL, YOU GUYS, THERE ARE 75 HOMES THAT CAN PARTICIPATE IN THIS BUYOUT PROGRAM. AND I’M TOLD ALL OF AVERY ESTATES IS ELIGIBLE. BUT LIKE YOU SAID, SOME PEOPLE ARE UPSET THAT THESE BUYOUT OFFER LETTERS COME IN WITH A LOWER PRICE THAN EXPECTED. WHERE CAN I GO BUY 18 ACRES, TWO STORAGE SHEDS, THREE PONDS AND A 2000 SQUARE FOOT HOUSE FOR $160,000. ALVIN YATES HAS LIVED IN HIS AVERY ESTATES HOME SINCE 1964. HE TELLS ME HE FEELS SHORTCHANGED AFTER RECEIVING THIS OFFER LETTER IN THE MAIL FROM SAINT TAMMANY PARISH OFFICIALS WHO OFFERED TO PURCHASE HIS HOME FOR A LITTLE OVER $160,000. IT’S SO SENSELESS HOW THEY WROTE THESE LETTERS OUT WITH THE GOVERNMENT, EITHER THE PARISH OR THE STATE OR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. WHY AREN’T THEY GIVING US THE MONEY? THAT’S FAIR. THE STATEWIDE BUYOUT PROGRAM PROVIDES LOUISIANA RESIDENTS WITH $87 MILLION. HOWEVER, $10 MILLION WAS ALLOCATED TO SAINT TAMMANY PARISH. THE PARISH LEADERS CHOSE AVERY ESTATES RESIDENTS AS THE RECIPIENT. AN AREA WITH A LONG TRACK RECORD OF FLOODING. PARISH OFFICIALS TELL ME THE BUYOUT PROGRAM IS A STATE PROGRAM WITH FEDERAL FUNDING. HOWEVER, THEY CAN’T PAY MORE THAN FAIR MARKET VALUE, BUT RESIDENTS ARE ABLE TO GET THEIR OWN APPRAISAL. WE’RE TOLD PARISH LEADERS DID NOT DECIDE THE GUIDELINES ON THE $250,000 CAP PER HOME, BUT THE GOAL IS TO BUY OUT AS MANY HOMES IN THE AREA. WHY WOULD YOU GET THE SAME PEOPLE WITH THE TRAILERS AND SMALL PROPERTIES AS THE PEOPLE WITH LARGE PROPERTIES AND CONSTRUCTION OF A HOUSE? THERE ARE 75 HOMES IN SAINT TAMMANY PARISH TO BE PART OF THE BUYOUT PROGRAM, AND SO FAR WE’RE TOLD ONLY FIVE HOMES WERE APPRAISED HIGHER THAN THAT. $250,000 CAP. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM GET OFF THIS CAP THING AND FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH IMPROVEMENTS Y’ALL. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE PUT ON THEIR PROPERTY. RESIDENTS WHO RECEIVED OFFER LETTERS HAVE 30 DAYS FROM THE DATE TO RESPOND. YATES SAYS HIS OFFER ISN’T WORTH THE RESPONSE. I GUESS WE’LL FLOOD AND THEY WON’T COME BACK HERE TO SAVE US AND WE COULD DIE BACK HERE. AND RIGHT NOW, PARISH LEADERS SAY IT’S UP TO THE STATE ON WHETHER THERE WILL BE AN APPEALS PROCESS FOR THE HOMES THAT HAVE BEEN APPRAISED HIGHER THAN THAT $250,000 CAP. BUT RIGHT NOW, WE’RE TOLD THAT GUIDELINE IS SET IN STONE. REPORTING HERE IN AVERY ESTATES, I’M ARIELL