BATON ROUGE — The state-run Ida Sheltering Program that provided thousands of temporary homes for those displaced by the August 2021 hurricane is set to formally end by the end of April.

The Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness announced it the program is scheduled to end April 30. For the past two months, those in the shelter program have been given information on the deadline. GOHSEP said the shelter population has been encouraged to secure alternate temporary or permanent housing as quickly as possible.

At its peak, the program involved nearly 5,400 units sheltering more than 15,000 people. The number of units in use now has decreased to nearly 600.

The deadline will not impact Ida survivors currently housed in FEMA's Direct Housing Units or other programs.

The program was initially federally supported but the costs have been covered entirely by the state for more than a year.

GOHSEP originally announced the program would end May 31, 2023, in March 2023, but extended the program to allow for more time to plan home repairs and alternative housing.