[FoCHAT] CHATNews:COX 10; AppealToLRA; Chinese Drywall;

Sat Jul 4 18:51:39 CDT 2009

July 4, 2009
Dear Friend of CHAT
1. On this 4th of July, a quote from our Declaration of Independence, with which we ask LRA to provide new and impartial appeals with the large to all those who tried to appeal but did not have a chance for a fair appeal. There is a large amount of money left that could be used for this just purpose to right very many wrongs.
“We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations,..”
http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/freedom/doi/text.html

2. If you are awaiting a Sold Home grant, an elevation, or Hazard Mitigation Grant (HMGP) and would like to make a post about your current situation, please go to:
http://www.chatushome.com/blog/?p=55#comments
or if you would rather tell us where you are in the processing by taking or updating our survey, please go to:
          http://chatushome.com/ and click after CHAT’s online survey

          or go to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=hdEchbm8Vl_2bWFDmxi7E_2f7w_3d_3d

3. COX 10 TV’s Airing of the May 27 CHAT Meeting Focused on Our Complaint to the HUD Inspector General 
Thanks to Carleen Dunn and COX 10! 
Wed., June 10, Noon-1:30 PM; Fri., June 12, Noon-1;30 PM; Sun., June 14, 10:00-11:30; Mon., June 15, 8:00-10:00; Thurs., June 18, 8:00-10:30; Sat., June 20, 11:00-1:00;  Mon., June 22, 12 - 2 PM; Fri., June 26, 8-10 AM; Wed., July 1, 3 PM; Thurs. July2, 2:30 PM; Fri., July 3, 3 PM; Sun., July 5, 9 AM; Mon., July 6, noon; Tues., July 7, 1:30 PM; Wed., July 8, noon. 

4. Tainted Chinese Drywall 
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/capital/index.ssf?/base/news-7/124599443492390.xml&coll=1
Compensation program OK'd for buyers of tainted drywall
Friday, June 26, 2009 By Robert Travis Scott Capital bureau
BATON ROUGE -- One of the surprise pieces of legislation of the lawmaking session was an initiative to create a $5 million program to compensate Road Home applicants who used tainted drywall in repairing and rebuilding their houses. 
Chinese drywall has been blamed for health problems, noxious odors and invasive corrosion. A shortage of building materials after Hurricane Katrina led to extensive reliance on the imported wall boards. 
The idea for the legislation surfaced Wednesday night when Rep. Jeff Arnold, D-Algiers, placed an amendment on Senate Bill 167, which deals with emergency assistance for renters. 
 The bill's author, Sen. Cheryl Gray Evans, D-New Orleans, agreed to the plan and the bill passed Thursday shortly before the session ended. 
The Imported Tainted Drywall Assistance Program would be implemented through the Louisiana Recovery Authority, which has handled many post-Katrina rebuilding efforts using federal Community Development Block Grants. 
The bill says at least $5 million shall be put into the program out of Road Home financing or other available state or federal resources. The legislation does not spell out how the money would get to the consumers but authorizes the LRA to figure that out. 
LRA spokeswoman Christina Stephens said the agency will put together a plan, which would be published for public comment before seeking approval from the LRA board and a committee of the Legislature. The program also would need approval of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which oversees the federal block grants. 
"It is too early to know exactly what the program will look like, as our staff is still working out the policy details," Stephens said. "We know this issue of Chinese drywall is of great concern to homeowners, legislators and our congressional delegation, which is why we are hopeful that the federal government will grant us the needed flexibility to be able to move forward with this program to assist those who have fallen victim to this product in the course of rebuilding their homes." 
Arnold said he checked out the idea for his legislation with LRA Executive Director Paul Rainwater, who supported the concept. 

A different bill during the session was designed to make it easier for people to sue the makers and distributors of Chinese drywall. Senate Bill 257 by Sen. Julie Quinn, R-Metairie, languished for weeks in the Senate as business lobbyists rallied against it. 
Quinn reworked her bill to provide a dollar-for-dollar tax credit that would compensate people for their drywall-related losses, but it never passed. 
. . . . . . . 
Robert Travis Scott can be reached at rscott at timespicayune.com or 225.342.4197. 

Best wishes,

Melanie Ehrlich
Founder, Citizens’ Road Home Action Team (CHAT)
http://chatushome.com

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