[FoCHAT] CHAT News: LRA lawyers & no obligation for LRA to be accountable?

[mehrlich8 at yahoo.com]

June 7, 2009
 
Dear FoCHAT Member,
 
If you are bothered when you read below:
 

that LRA lawyers have recently argued that LRA can do what it wants with the RH funds because RH is a "giveaway" program
 

and you had uncorrected mistakes or violation of RH rules in your application processing by RH, 
 

please go to near the top of our website 
 
                            http://chatushome.com
 

to learn how you can offer to possibly have your file examined during the HUD OIG audit 
 

in answer to our complaint about waste and abuse 
 

and to possibly respond to auditor requests for documents that are relevant and may not be in your file.
 
 
 
>From CHAT Co-Chair, Frank Silvestri
 
The appeals system starts with ICF reviewing its own mistakes which it often just rubberstamped during the appeal. 
  
We have not been able to get the rules for deciding these appeals. 
  
Then with no standards for decision making, the State runs a second-tier appeal. Usually applicants lost these and often they were given no reasons. 
  
After that, the State of Louisiana says applicants have no right of appeal in court. 
  
The Administrative Procedures Act of the State of LA gives every citizen the right to challenge in court any decision of state agencies that affects them. Even a citizen who has a $25 traffic ticket is entitled to go to court and to have the policeman present who gave him the ticket. LRA says that applicants with denied RH appeals for grants of up to $150,000 cannot go to court. That is just wrong. Nothing in law excludes LRA and the RHP from the APA. 
  
Incredibly, in court during several cases, LRA lawyers have argued that the State of Louisiana are under no obligation to be fair or accountable to anyone and LRA can do what it wants with RH money because the Road Home Program is a “giveaway program.” They stated in court that the money was given to the State of Louisiana and not to the applicants.   
We have recently won a court case about this right of applicants to bring cases to court. Inevitably, the case will be appealed but for now, that right stands, as it should, to allow applicants the right to go to court, including those with obvious uncorrected mistakes by the contractor in their application processing. 
  
 
CHAT Meeting from May 27, which highlights the HUD OIG complaint will be shown on COX10 as follows:
 
Wed., June 10, Noon-1:30 PM; Fri., June 12, Noon-1;30 PM.
 
 
About Accountability: LRA outside council is still helping LRA to deal with its nonresponsiveness to many of my requests under public records request law. I have not yet had a hearing although this type of case is supposed to always be expedited after a petition of Mandamus is filed (on Mar. 26).
 
May 18, 2009 article:

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/metro/index.ssf?/base/news-34/1242624008109530.xml&coll=1
 
 
 
Best wishes,
 
Melanie Ehrlich
Co-Chairman, Citizens' Road Home Action Team (CHAT)
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