By Erykah Agers
Copyright yahoo
MINDEN, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – City council members in Minden voted to opt out of an emergency assistance program by the state of Louisiana, a decision the Mayor says is the standard across many cities.
According to the official webpage, Expedited Temporary Housing Assistance (ETHA) is a part of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) program designed to help disaster survivors quickly access temporary housing.
The ETHA program allows local governments to temporarily waive land use and permit regulations so that mobile homes, RVs, or other temporary housing can be placed directly next to a survivor’s damaged home. This helps families stay close to their property while repairs or rebuilding take place.
Minutes from the Minden City Council meeting on Sept. 8, 2025, show the board voted to opt out. Prior to a motion being made, the mayor, Nick Cox, reassured that options still would be available should an emergency arise.
“We vote on this every year. When I was on the police jury, we always opted out and every year that I have been mayor, we always opted out.”
He says opting out is a standard procedure in many cities.
“The good thing about opting out is, I’ve been told that any time we have an emergency that we can opt in. That seems to be a consensus across municipalities to opt out.”
Councilman Carlton Myles moved to opt out of the program.
Councilwoman Latasha Mitchell seconded the motion, and the vote was unanimous in favor from all council members, with council member Michael Roy absent from the vote.
A 2024 frequently asked question file provides a list of other questions that may arise regarding the program and the flexibility cities may have when it comes to assistance, should they decide to opt out.
The website also provides a complete list of all Louisiana government authorities that have decided to opt in or out of the program.
At the time of this article, the majority have opted in, with 154 cities/government authorities voting in (41%), and 74 opting out (20%), including the City of Minden.
39% of authorities are still listed as undetermined at this time.
Parishes and municipalities must submit the waiver form annually to the Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (OHSEP) Director.
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