Daigle House Apartments

In 2010, Affiliated Blind of Louisiana Training Center’s (ABLTC) Board of Directors elected to sponsor and pursue funding for housing for people with physical disabilities that wanted to remain in Lafayette after completing training programs at the Training Center located at 409 West St. Mary Blvd. ABLTC provides job training, independent living, and case management services to their target population. This complex will greatly enhance the mission of the Affiliated Blind of Louisiana Training Center by providing a community designed for those with sight impairments and the ability to offer services to those persons in a centralized location. Later that year, funding was awarded by Hurricanes Gustav-Ike Affordable Rental Program by the Louisiana Recovery Authority. It was administered by the Louisiana Division of Administration's Disaster Recovery Unit within the Office of Community Development. This includes a 32-unit complex comprised of 16 1-bedroom units with 621 SF each, 16 2-bedroom units with 820 SF each, an office, common areas, community areas, outdoor eating and grilling area, and playground. The nonprofit corporation Daigle House Apartments, Inc., was formed to own and operate this development. Construction began January 06, 2012.

Lynn Blanchard serves as Executive Director of Affiliated Blind of Louisiana Training Center and President of Daigle House Apartments, Inc. The Architectural firm of Ardoin, Gaudet & Tolson, Ltd. served as architects for the complex, as they have considerable experience in the design of units for people with physical disabilities. Le Centre Evangeline Corporation served as the grant consultants and has been instrumental in the successful application for the grant funds that made Daigle House Apartments possible.

Funding for this development was provided through Bancorp South Bank, State of Louisiana - Disaster Recovery Unit, Office of Community Development, and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas. The total budget for this development is $3,816,000. Because of the financial opportunities provided by these agencies, this 32-unit apartment complex will serve the physically disabled, blind, and others with a permanent, safe, sanitary, secure, affordable, and available place to live.

The property is named in memory of Calvin and Enise Daigle. Both were charter members, officers, and outstanding volunteers of Affiliated Blind of Louisiana, Inc. and Affiliated Blind of Louisiana Enterprises, Inc. Calvin's wife, Enise, is sister to Mr. John Lemaire, who was the founder and first Executive Director of the Affiliated Blind of Louisiana Training Center. All were advocates for the blind and visually impaired in Acadiana and throughout the state. Mr. Lemaire’s name honors the adjacent multi-family complex Maison de Lemaire which was sponsored by ABLTC in 2002.

We would like to thank everyone involved and all the local governmental and state officials that made this possible.

Daigle House Apartments are located at:

1341 West Willow Street in Lafayette, Louisiana

and are managed by Scalisi Properties.

For more information, you may contact:

Cindy Dore at (337) 269-4050