[FoCHAT] CHATNews: Rep. Tucker, Who Distrusts RH Applicants, Takes Charge of Diverting RH Funds

Mon May 17 23:58:57 CDT 2010

CHATNews: House Speaker Tucker, Who Distrusts RH Applicants, Takes Charge of Diverting RH Funds
May 17, 2010
Dear CHAT Members,
Topics in Today’s Newsletter 
1. Politics is winning; legislative attempts to divert Road Home (RH) funds
2. 40-min interview about some major RH issues on the radio on Thursday that will also be available as a podcast
3. Websites for Mitigation money information for RH applicants

1. Politics (in the unbecoming use of the word) is winning.
House Speaker Jim Tucker is on his campaign for bragging rights to the “surplus” money that Congress gave for RH applicants.
This is money that Congress and the US public intended for Katrina/Rita hurricane/flood victims in Louisiana. As you know, this is largely guilt money for the knowingly poor supervision of levee construction by the US Army Corp of Engineers and the loss of life due in no small part to the preventable and unconscionable inadequacies of the federal rescue response. 

There is “surplus” money from the RH because ICF International and HGI, the contractors, with the approval and the design of state RH officials managed to systematically underpay many thousands, and probably, tens of thousands of applicants.
This is money due to those thousands of shortchanged applicants, mostly Option 1 applicants who want to repair or rebuild their homes.
Tucker’s new bills (http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=707653 , http://www.legis.state.la.us/billdata/streamdocument.asp?did=705752 ) passed the House today unanimously.
For tracking bills www.legis.state.la.us or 800 256 3793
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/capital/index.ssf?/base/news-8/1273664609154940.xml&coll=1

These bills give the legislature much more authority about where federal recovery dollars will go and will result in “surplus” RH funds being given to the parishes for them to decide how to spend it (unless HUD puts proper restraints on the spending). 
Now, that parish distribution might possibly be a good thing for RH applicants but it is not likely since New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu spoke about the needs of blight reduction and not a word about RH applicants’ needs for the money that had been designated just for them.
                Sounds like Mitch Landrieu means money to bulldoze more houses rather than giving the money to shortchanged RH applicants to repair their homes and thereby much more effectively (and fairly) reduce blight. 
                So many RH applicants whose homes are not repaired got no money or much too little money (often contrary to RH rules). Applicants continue to write to CHAT about how they don’t have enough money to repair their homes and were not treated fairly or consistently by ICF, HGI,  the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA, soon to no longer exist) and the Office of Community Development (previously partly in charge and soon fully in charge of HUD and FEMA issues for our state).  
We might have a little more confidence that the intended distribution of RH money to the parishes will help RH applicants, however, the sponsor of these two bills is the same House Speaker Tucker, who said the following at the March LRA Board meeting.
                “A lot of Road Home applicants have gambled their Road Home money away. During Superbowl weekend, I watched the TV news showing horrible looking abandoned houses in New Orleans. That’s because applicants have blown their Road Home money. After Hurricane Katrina there were record profits by Harrah’s Casino in New Orleans. Many applicants wasted their money. This is a historic point in time for us to get them. If we don’t do it now, it will be our fault.” 
We might give Mr. Tucker and those other legislators that we elected to represent our interests in Baton Rouge the benefit of the doubt except those nagging reminders of how politicians want bragging rights (“I got $30,000 for a new multiplex auditorium”) and how those parish projects often involve big-buck contractors for demolition, construction, and maintenance, who just might give a political contribution to the legislator responsible for bringing the bacon home.
I hope I am wrong.
But I doubt it.
How much has the state legislature done to help in the recovery of S. Louisiana?
I saw firsthand their unconcern when I went to testify in Baton Rouge in 2008 on behalf of a RH reform bill.
The legislators know that HUD has to approve this diversion of federal disaster money earmarked specifically for RH applicants to any other purpose. Then Congress has to approve it.
Has HUD helped desperate applicants, of whom there are still so very many, before?
Will Senators Landrieu and Vitter help???
2. Radio program about the Road Home Program and podcast that can be listened to long after the program.

Central: "From the Ground Up", a Live Radio Discussion Series That Connects Homeowners, Homebuyers, Home Rebuilders and Renters With Qualified Experts

"From The Ground Up" is hosted by the Legacy Coalition of the Gulf Coast. 
-NOTE: 3:00 pm start time today due to baseball game-
The show will help residents eliminate the confusion and fill in knowledge gaps with localized how-to information and advice. The show will connect radio listeners to construction, insurance, financing, legal and other experts - to answer virtually every home buying, building, remodeling and ownership question. 
This show was taped - no phone calls please

Today's focus: It's All About The Road Home Program
Featuring a one-on-one interview with Professor Melanie Ehrlich (Faculty member of Tulane Medical School), the founder of Citizens’ Road Home Action Team (known as "CHAT"; http://chatushome.com ). 
Over 127,000 South Louisiana residents received Road Home grants averaging about $65,000 funded by HUD's $10 Billion Road Home Program 
Dr. Ehrlich discusses the many issues surrounding the soon to end Road Home Program, as well as: 
• the Road Home Elevation Grant Program 
• the FEMA Elevation Grant Program 
• the confusing rules 
• inadequate funding for home repair for many applicants, 
• lack of an independent simple appeal process to correct numerous of Road Home mistakes 
• and what's going to happen to the unused remainder of HUD's Road Home funds?
The main part of this Road Home program is coming to an end within the next few weeks, while rebuilding deadlines are ahead for many grant recipients! 

Every broadcast is saved as a podcast on www.wgso.com. You can hear each broadcast at your convenience

3. OCD Website with updates on the FEMA-funded Elevation and Individual Mitigation Measures Programs for RH Applicants (HMGP and IMM)
http://www.mitigatela.org/
http://www.mitigatela.org/IMM.aspx
Some explanation will be in an upcoming CHAT newsletter.

Best wishes,

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

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