September 1st, 2009
This blog is from Citizens’ Road Home Action Team (CHAT; http://chatushome.com) about the federally financed, state-run Road Home Program for Louisiana homeowner victims of Hurricanes Katrina or Rita (RHP). CHAT is a zero-budget grass-roots group that formed in Sept., 2006 in response to the disconnect between the needs of disaster-victim applicants to the RHP and the management of the program.
The RHP was financed with more than $10 billion of taxpayer money, mostly from the federal government due to the generosity of US citizens and Congress.
It was partly intended to compensate Louisianans who suffered great losses due to destruction of their homes and properties because of flooding attributable to broken levees that the US Army Corp of Engineers certified, but knew to be structurally defective.
While the RHP has helped many thousands of lucky applicants, it has hurt many thousands with broken promises and irregular administration by both the contractors (who reaped great profits) and the state (the Louisiana Recovery Authority, LRA).
What will follow is running commentary on various aspects of the RHP and related issues from HUD and FEMA. You are welcome to leave comments.
See http://chatushome.com for more information.
You can join the more than 950 members of our email network or contact us by writing to chatlra@yahoo.com. Our email newsletters are free.
While we have accomplished much, there is still great inconsistency and unfairness in the RHP, and we are concerned about how the remaining funds (more than $1 billion) will be spent.
Melanie Ehrlich
Founder, Citizens’ Road Home Action Team (CHAT)
Member of the LRA Housing Task Force
Posted in Uncategorized | 37 Comments »
June 26th, 2009
Dear Applicants of the HUD-Funded Louisiana Road Home Programs,
If you were or are an applicant to the Road Home Homeowner Program or the Small Rental or Piggyback Programs, please comment on your experiences with their grant assistance or processing for victims of Hurricanes/Floods Katrina or Rita.
Please give your full name and city within the post itself at the end of your comments in order for us to post it.
See http://chatushome.com for information about the Road Home Program and our grassroots organization, Citizens’ Road Home Action Team (CHAT).
Thank you,
Melanie Ehrlich
Founder, Citizens’ Road Home Action Team (CHAT, founded Sept., 2006)
chatlra@yahoo.com
Member, Louisiana Recovery Authority Housing Task Force
Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments »
September 25th, 2008
This is a previous Sept. 2008 posting of comments on the Road Home Program to the Governor and his Chief of Staff.
If you agree with this comment, you could just write, “I agree.”
Gov. Jindal and Mr. Teepell, please don’t bury Road Home mistakes!
Posted in Uncategorized | 42 Comments »
August 12th, 2008
LRA IS NEGLECTING APPEALS REFORM
IN ACTION PLAN AMENDMENTS FOR NEW LAW: An Aug. 2008 Posting
LRA And The 2008 Law 872
1. Send your public comments to LRA in an email to ocd@la.gov
Easiest way to make your comments:
If you are not a big-computer person and you agree with CHAT, you could just write:
Public Comments on LRA Amendments 27 and 28
LRA has to open up appeals to applicants who did not have a fair appeal.
LRA needs to have appeals run by an independent agency under fair rules.
There must be detailed guidelines for how appeals are decided.
LRA should not spend grant money on individual mitigation measures ($7500 for shutters etc.).
Instead, LRA should use the Hazard Mitigation Money for that.
The link for the bill
http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=504663
The link for the Action Plan Amendments from LRA that are missing any mention of appeals reform
http://www.doa.louisiana.gov/cdbg/dractionplans.htm
From Citizens’ Road Home Action Team (CHAT)
Posted in Uncategorized | 72 Comments »