Citizens' Road Home Action Team
CHAT Media Appearances

LCategory: CHAT, Road Home Program

Television and Radio Interviews

Lee Zurick WWL4 TV – Short spot on 6 PM news with Melanie Ehrlich, Nov. 17, 2006.

Eric Asher WIST – 1-hour radio interview with Melanie Ehrlich, Nov. 20, 2006.

Christopher Tidmore 99.5 – Short spot on 99.5 FM radio with Melanie Ehrlich, Dec. 15, 2006.

Bo Walker 99.5 – 1-hour interview & call-in on 99.5 FM with Shawn Antee and Melanie Ehrlich, Dec. 18, 2006.

Dennis Woltering WWL4 i-News – 8-min interview with Frank Silvestri and Melanie Ehrlich, Dec. 21, 2006, Watch Video.

Dennis Woltering WWL4 TV, Sunday Morning News 7-min interview with Frank Silvestri and Melanie Ehrich, Dec. 31, 2006.

Lee Zurick WWL4 Short spot on TV for 6 PM news with Melanie Ehrlich reading a statement from CHAT to the LRA Board of Directors about getting the money out because only 154 grant awards have been made to homeowners since Sept. 1 vs. over 27,000 awards calculated and 97,000 applicants to date, Jan. 12, 2007.

Andre Trevigne WRNO 99.5 30-min interview on Clear Channel, Jan. 22, 2007

Bob Del Giorno & Monica Pierre : WWL Radio Morning News 15-min interview, Jan. 25, 2007

Bob Christopher and Gary Foster, WRNO 99.5 Clear Channel 1-hour interview with Melanie Ehrlich, Feb. 7, 2007.

Dennis Woltering WWL4 TV, Sunday Morning News 7-min interview with Frank Silvestri and Melanie Ehrlich on the Sunday Morning News, Feb. 11, 2007,

Lee Zurick WWL4 TV Short interview on Evening News with Melanie Ehrlich, Feb. 16, 2007

News Hour with Jim Lehrer, National TV Interviews with K.C. King and Frank Silvestri, Shot of weekly CHAT meeting, Feb. 26, 2007, http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/weather/jan-june07/nola_02-26.html

Garland Robinette Show AM 870, FM 105.3 Interviews with Frank Silvestri and Melanie Ehrlich , Mar. 8, 2007 Listen to Audio

Christopher Tidmore 99.5 Interview about the Bill or Road Home Rights recently passed by three Parish Councils; interviews of Frank Silvestri, St. Bernard Parish Council President Joe Di Fatta, and New Orleans City Councilman Arnie Fielkow, Mar. 9, 2007

Kevin Henry, Fox News, Evening & Morning Interview with Melanie Ehrlich about CHAT’s proposal for an independent program review and for a citizens’ oversight board (see press release link for details), Mar. 14 & 15, 2007

Garland Robinette Show AM 870, FM 105.3 Interviews with Laura Le Bon and Melanie Ehrlich about CHAT’s lastest proposals (see immediately above), Mar. 15, 2007

Garland Robinette Show AM 870, FM 105.3 Interviews with Frank Silvestri and K.C. King, Mar. 22, 2007

Mike Hoss, Eyewitness News WWL4 TV, 6 PM Interview about proposal for in-depth review of ICF and OCD and for a Citizens’ Oversight Board with Melanie Ehrlich, Mar. 31

Anthony Patton and Mike Forster 99.5 FM Interview with Melanie Ehrlich about the need for review of ICF and OCD and for Citizens’ Oversight Board, Apr. 5, 2007

Garland Robinette Show AM 870, FM 105.3 Interviews with Frank Silvestri and Melanie Ehrlich about three new CHAT initiatives to be presented at the LRA Bd. Mtg. on 4/10 & why they are needed, Apr. 9; Listen

Lee Zurick, Eyewitness News WWL4 TV, 6 PM Interview with Frank Silvestri and Melanie Ehrlich about HUD changes and 3 CHAT proposals for Apr. 10 LRA Board Meeting,(policy review, Citizens’ Bd., & adoption by LRA of Bill of Road Home Rights, Apr. 7

Garland Robinette Show AM 870, FM 105.3 Interviews with Frank Silvestri and Melanie Ehrlich Apr. 27, 2007

Lee Zurick, Eyewitness News WWL4 TV, 6 PM Interview with Melanie Ehrlich about need for transparency in the RHP and an anticipated $ shortfall for the grants, Apr. 28 Watch Video

Paul Murphy, ABC26 News TV : 6 and 10 PM Interview with Melanie Ehrlich about RHP shortfall, May 2, 2007 http://abc26.trb.com/ and Watch Video

Lee Zurick, Eyewitness News WWL4 TV, 5 PM Interview with Melanie Ehrlich about need for the Louisiana legislators to follow the leads of Rep. Tucker and Sen. Heitmeier and put some of the Louisiana State surplus funds into the RHP to cover the shortfall; also, the Louisiana Congressional delegation needs to get more funding from the US Congress without delay. May 5, 2007.

C-Span, U.S. SENATE HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS SUBCOMMITEE ON DISASTER RECOVERY, Frank Silvestri, CHAT Co-Chairman, one of 5 members of a panel giving testimony. May 24, 2007

Mike Hill, ABC26 News TV: Interviews with Frank Silvestri about his testimony to the Senate Disaster Subcommittee, May 23 and 24, 2007

Interview on WWL4 TV News, 5 PM Frank Silvestri and Melanie Ehrlich about the need of all interested in Louisiana’s welfare to write to Senators Landieu and Stevens to ask for Congress to cover the RHP shortfall in funding, May 26, 2007

Six On Your Side, 10:30 PM: With Norman Robinson, Frank Silvestri, Melanie Ehrlich, US Rep. Jefferson, LA Rep. La Fonta, May 29, 2007

Channel 26, 10 PM News: Frank Silvestri, CHAT’s LA Legislature letter-writing campaign, June 2, 2007

Garland Robinette Show AM 870, FM 105.3 Interview with Melanie Ehrlich about the need for the state legislature to fund $1 billion of the anticipated $5 billion shortfall to prime Congress to fund the rest, June 19, 2007

COX10 TV airing the June 13 1 1/2-hour CHAT meeting four times during the week on June 24, 2007.

Garland Robinette Show AM 870, FM 105.3 Interview with Frank Silvestri and Melanie Ehrlich, July 20, 2007

Lee Zurick, Eyewitness News: WWL 4, July 22, 2007, Grant distribution with the Road Home shortfall, fairness, elevation allowance, help needed from Chairman Powell’s Federal Office of Gulf Coast Rebuilding

International Press Conference. 22 nations represented. Invited speaker, CHAT Co-Chairman Frank Silvestri: Tragedy Is A Relative Thing.

COX10 TV airing the Aug. 15 1 hour and 45 min CHAT Meeting. George Ball, Producer. 10 showings for two weeks beginning Aug. 19, 2007.

CNBC Against The Tide: The Battle for New Orleans: National TV, 7 min were about CHAT and the Road Home Program. Producer: Peter Bull.Shown 6 times during the week of Aug. 26, 2007.

Good Morning America ABC, Road Home Problems highlighted with CHAT members Brenda and Chip Chiapinelli. Aug. 28, 2007.

Six On Your Side Norman Robinson, Final Katrina Special show of the successful program. Frank Silvestri and Melanie Ehrlich, interviewees. Aug. 29, 2007.

COX10 TV airing of Celebration of Thanks on Aug. 29, the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Including a talk by Melanie Ehrlich. Aired 10 times the following week.

Bob Del Giorno & Monica Pierre : WWL Radio Morning News Interview with Steve Donahue about elevation allowances. Oct. 2, 2007.

WWL 4, 10 PM TV News Report about Gov.-elect Jindal’s initial statement of working with Gov. Blanco to fully support Congress covering the Road Home shortfall; comments by Melanie Ehrlich. Oct. 28, 2007.

ABC26, Evening News with Cyndi Nguyen about problems with applicant waiting over a year for grants and left in limbo as well as the RHP’s rigidity disallowing an eligible 89-year-old woman her grant at closing due to an SBA-mandated change in title papers upon her husband’s death. Nov. 14, 2007. http://abc26.trb.com/news/wgno_111407roadhome,0,4070157,print.story?coll=wgno-news-1

Dennis Woltering WWL4 TV, Sunday Morning News interview of Melanie Ehrlich about unresponsiveness of ICF International to fixing problems with dispute resolution cases and applicants with simple applications whose status is unclear and in limbo. Nov. 19, 2007.

WWL4 TV, Interview of Frank Silvestri about applicants left behind in the big push to 90,000 closings at the end of the month. Dec. 28, 2007.

WWNO FM99.9, The http://LouisianaREBUILDS.info Minute about CHAT’s helping applicants by advocating for policy changes, 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM on Jan. 21 (When you really need an expert, where do you go?), Jan. 22 (Did you ever want to know what is really going on behind the curtain of the Wizard of Oz? you can get written documentation now), Jan. 23 (Did you wonder why the shotgun across the street was valued so much higher and your appraisal wasn’t accepted?)

WWL4 TV, Interview of Melanie Ehrlich about rush to close Road Home Program without fair appeals and with unnecessary use of Road Home grant money for hazard-mitigation house-elevation allowances instead of Hazard Mitigation FEMA funds, which have become available with little red tape as of Jan. 2008.

Danette O’Neill Show, TV COX6, Davida Finger, John Murden, and Melanie Ehrlich, March—two one-hour programs about the Road Home.

COX10, throughout April 19, 2008, televising the 2-hour taped Feb. 27 meeting of CHAT about elevation grants, appeals, home valuation methods, lack of implementation of new Road Home Policies that are favorable to applicants, http://LouisianaREBUILDS.info and CHAT Contractor Forum

WWL4 TV News (S. Satchfied, interviewer) and Fox8 News(Val Bracey, interviewer), Apr. 5, 2008 about asking for money back from applicants with overpayments due to Road Home calculation mistakes.

CNN Interview of CHAT Members Jack Dee and Melanie Ehrlich, March 31, live interview about Road Home sending out a soliciation for a collection agency to subcontract collection of “overdue” amounts from applicants, including those who were supposedly overpaid due to mistakes made by the contractor, ICF International.

COX10, from Apr. 13, televising the 2-hour taped Apr. 9, 2008 meeting of CHAT about Frank Silvestri’s case for appeals rights in court, applicants who have not been able to get mistakes corrected, problems with applicants getting dropped from dispute resolution or not having a fair appeals, and applicants being told to pay back money due to Road Home mistakes.

WWL4 5 PM TV News (S. Satchfied, interviewer), slowing down of Road Home closings and applicants unable to get correction of shortchanging of grants by appeals, Apr. 17, 2008.

Anderson Cooper Show, CNN, 10 PM EST and morning news. Interviews with CHAT members John Montague and Melanie Ehrlich about applicant payback to Road Home after closing because of ICF mistakes in calculation of grants, May 29.

WWL4 TV, 5 PM News, Scott Scatchfield interview with Melanie Ehrlich about the $1.5 million bonus to the ICF CEO, May 1, 2008. http://www.wwltv.com/video/news-index.html?nvid=241212&shu=1

WWL Radio, Spud Show,Interview with Frank Silvestri about unfairness in appeals processing July 16, 2008.

WWL4 TV, Eyewitness News, Group claims LRA is blocking Road Home appeals,Susan Edwards interview with Melanie Ehrlich, August 12, 2008.

ABC Ch26 WGNO News, J. Hoffman interview with Melanie Ehrlich about failure of LRA to address the appeals provision in the new law Act 872, Aug. 21, 2008.

WWL Radio, Garland Robinette Show, Robinette interview with Melanie Ehrlich about LRA not complying with Act 872; the legally required Action Plan Amendments; and LRA plans to spend precious grant money instead of available FEMA funds for mitigation grants, Aug. 22, 2008.

WBOK radio,Kay Jay interview with Melanie Ehrlich about LRA and ICF International leaving thousands of applicants with uncorrected, short-changing mistakes in their Road Home grants, Aug. 25, 2008.

Baton Rouge Public Radio, Jim Engster interviewed Melanie Ehrlich about the LRA still not providing the requested information in a public records request filed July 1 about current rules for Road Home appeals. Appeals are supposed to be reformed as per Act 872 (signed into law by Gov. Jindal on July 9) but even if the legally required reform is not yet enacted, there should be some non-arbitrary explicit policy governing how appeals are conducted and decided; Wed. Aug. 27 9:30 AM.

COX10 TV airing of 2-hour CHAT Meeting on June 18 CHAT meeting
about the Louisiana Legislative Office and the Office of Community Development misinformation and 4 Road Home Reform Bills (one of which passed as Act 872); lack of promised appeals reform; applicants with outrageously incorrect treatment by ICF International and the subcontractors;
Tues., June 24, 2 PM; Wed., June 25, 4 PM; Thurs., June 26, 8 AM; Fri., June 27, 2 PM; Sun., June 29, 2:30 PM; Mon., June 30, 3:30 PM; Tues., July 1, 2 PM; Wed., July 2, 4 PM; Thurs., July 3, 8 AM; Sat., July 5, 11 AM; Sun., July 6, 4 PM; Mon., July 7, 2 PM; Tues., July 8, 4 PM; Thurs., July 10, 8 AM; Fri., July 11, 2 PM; Sun. July 12, 3 PM; Sun, July 13, 2 PM; Mon., July 14, 3 PM; Tues., July 15, 2 PM; Thurs., July 17, 3:30 PM; Sun., July 20, 8 AM; Mon., July 21, 2 PM; Tue., July 22, 4 PM; Wed., July 23, 3 PM; Thurs., July 24, 8 AM; Fri., July 25, 2 PM; Sat., July 26, 11 AM; Tues., July 29, 2 PM; Fri., Aug. 1, 8 AM; Sat., Aug. 2, 3 PM; Wed., Aug. 6, 2 PM; Sun., Aug. 8, 4 PM; Mon., Aug. 11, 8 AM; Wed., Aug. 13, 2 PM; Fri., Aug. 15, 6 PM; Tues., Aug. 19, 4:30; Thurs., Aug. 21, 8 AM, Fri., Aug. 22, 2 PM, Sat., Aug. 23, 10 AM; Sun., Aug. 24, 4 PM; Fri., Aug. 29, 8 AM; Wed., Sept. 9, 2:00; Sat., Sept. 6, 11 AM; Sun., Sept, 14, 1 PM.

WWL 4 Susan Edwards interview with Melanie Ehrlich, Group gives Road Home failing grades, 10:37 PM CDT on Monday, September 22, 2008 / Eyewitness News
http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/wwl092208tpfailing.a1ef89c9.html

Cox 10, The 2-hour Sept. 17 CHAT meeting has been/will be shown on:Sun., Sept. 21, 8 AM; Mon., Sept. 22, 4 PM ; Fri., Sept. 26, 2 PM ; Sat., Sept. 27, 3 PM; Sun., Sept. 28, 1 PM; Mon., Sept. 29, 8 AM; Wed., Oct. 1, 2:30 PM; Thurs., Oct. 2, 2 PM; Fri., Oct. 3, 8 AM; Mon., Oct. 6, 3 PM; Fri., Oct. 10, 2 PM; Sat., Oct. 11, 3 PM; Sun., Oct. 12, 1 PM; Mon., Oct. 13, 8 AM; Tues., Oct. 14, 4 PM; Fri., Oct. 17, 8 AM

Newspaper Articles

Road Home Isn’t Easy Street 10/7/06 Times Picayune, Michelle Krupa, http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1160202867253020.xml&coll=1&thispage=1

Slow Home Grants Stall Progress in New Orleans 11/11/06 New York Times, Leslie Eaton, http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30913F7345B0C728DDDA80994DE404482

Unhappy Endings 12/14/05 Times Picayune, Coleman Warner, http://www.nola.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1166080448139300.xml?NP1&coll=1

Stranded on the Road Home 12/15/06 Times Picayune Editorial: http://www.nola.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1166165878307390.xml?NOED&coll=1

CHAT group wants to help The Road Home get up to speed 12/18/06 City Business, http://www.neworleanscitybusiness.com/UpToTheMinute.cfm?recID=7858

Road Home Rethinks Appraisals 12/21/06 Times Picayune, Coleman Warner, http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1166687735146230.xml&coll=1

CHAT applauds adjustment to The Road Home process 12/21/06 City Business, http://www.neworleanscitybusiness.com/uptotheminute.cfm?recid=7933

Jazz and Razz, Kudos: Citizens’ Road Home Action Team, a loosely organized group based in New Orleans, was influential in getting the state to agree to needed reforms to the governor’s Road Home program, including a new policy that will allow homeowners to get grants without giving up their right to appeal. State officials are finalizing details of that policy. 12/23/06 Times-Picayune, Saturday, December 23, 2006 Editorial page,p. B6

Group pushing for smooth Road Home Grass-roots organization in N.O. gaining clout with state officials 12/25/06 Times-Picayune, Coleman Warner, http://www.nola.com/search/index.ssf?/base/library-117/1167028418197370.xml?ZZLIBB&coll=1

EDITORIAL: A constructive approach: Citizens who are pushing for improvements to the Road Home program have reason to be angry with the slow, often flawed process homeowners encounter when seeking grants for their storm-damaged property. 12/27/06 Times-Picayune

But members of Citizens’ Road Home Action Team—or CHAT —aren’t letting anger cloud their judgment. Instead the New Orleans-based group has come up with ways to make the program fairer and faster. Some of those ideas have been embraced by state officials and ICF International, the company managing the $7.5 billion program.

State officials agreed to allow homeowners who didn’t have appraisals before Katrina to hire appraisers to determine the prestorm value of their flood-damaged home. The state also has agreed to allow payments to homeowners even if they’re appealing the grant amount. Those are important changes since property values are key to determining grant amounts.

CHAT has offered a concrete agenda that is far more helpful than calling for the contractor’s termination. That’s the approach that the state Legislature took, but CHAT pointed out that firing ICF would just cause more delays for homeowners.

Over the past 16 months, Louisianians have learned that they must be their own advocates when it comes to recovery. Groups like CHAT have taken up that mantle. It’s encouraging that they are speaking out—and that the state is listening. http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/editorials/index.ssf?/base/news-3/116720198882600.xml&coll=1

EDITORIAL: Resolutions for all We, Women of the Storm, Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans, Levees.org and Citizens’ Road Home Action Team, pledge to continue holding government accountable 1/1/06 Times-Picayune http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/editorials/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1167634269213450.xml&coll=1

Recovery grants forecast retracted: ICF official backs off 500-a-day estimate 1/11/07 Times-Picayune, David Hammer, http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1168499410110410.xml&coll=1

Road Home program falls short of Blanco administration goal 1/24/07 Times-Picayune, Melinda Deslatte, http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/news-30/116965765968340.xml&storylist=Louisiana

City loan program aims to jumpstart home rebuilding 1/25/07 Times-Picayune, Michelle Krupa, http://www.nola.com/weblogs/print.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_tpupdates/archives/print229218.html

Understaffed and overwhelmed: The firm administering Louisiana’s Road Home program has consistently underestimated the magnitude of the task, records show 1/28/07 Times-Picayune, Jeffrey Meitrodt, http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1169970765301220.xml&coll=1

Road Home divulges its appraisal rules: Activists overcome its initial resistance 2/7/07 Times-Picayune, David Hammer, http://www.nola.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1170832077324620.xml?NSBR&coll=1

JAZZ. Thanks to pressure from homeowner activists with the CITIZENS’ ROAD HOME ACTION TEAM the state Office of Community Development is finally posting basic policies for the Road Home program on-line, including how damages on applicants’ homes are estimated. The state office, which oversees the program, and private contractor ICF International had resisted repeated calls to make the information public. ICF claimed that the information would help people defraud the program. 2/11/07 Times-Picayune, Editorial Page:http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/editorials/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1171177679230680.xml&coll=1

Road Home appeals scarce: Critics say process shrouded in secrecy 3/2/07 Times-Picayune, David Hammer, http://www.nola.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news

Road Home Is The Latest Roadblock 3/3/07 Times-Picayune, Stephanie Bruno, http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/living-0/1172906114292410.xml&coll=1

Disputes over awards add to Road Home headaches 3/13/07 Times-Picayune, David Hammer: http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-7/117379983811780.xml&coll=1

Direct Payout Idea Garners Praise 3/18/07 Times-Picayune, David Hammer, http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1174195343250770.xml&coll=1

Road Home eyeing Mississippi system: Neighboring state sends money to homeowners in a lump sum 3/26/07 Times-Picayune, Coleman Warner, http://www.nola. com/news/ t-p/frontpage/ index.ssf? /base/news-7/117488698023720. xml&coll= 1

Most ready to take their lumps Road Home changes await HUD approval 4/6/07 Times-Picayune, David Hammer, http://www.nola.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news-7/117583985884240.xml&coll=1

HUD Institutes Changes to Speed Storm Repairs 4/7/07 New York Times, Leslie Eaton, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/07/us/07rebuild.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Program ends title checks for rebuilders 4/11/07 Times-Picayune, David Hammer, http://blog.nola.com/topnews/2007/04/program_ends_title_checks_for.html

Wait over for those who lack mortgage” Bank told to release lump-sum payouts 4/13/07 Times-Picayune, David Hammer, http://blog.nola.com/topnews/2007/04/wait_over_for_those_who_lack_m.html

Inactive File: The N.O. agency assigned to tackle blighted land has very little to show 4/15/07 Times-Picayune, Michelle Krupa, http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-8/117661810883230.xml&coll=1

Road Home deficit growing 5/11/07 The Baton Rouge Advocate, Joe Gyan, Meanwhile, Melanie Ehrlich, founder and co-chair of the grassroots Citizens’ Road Home Action Team, or CHAT, asked the LRA board Thursday to order a thorough, independent review of the program. “We need action,’’ she said, charging that Road Home applications are “aging’’ while homeowners are being “left behind in the dust.’’
Approved a measure to adopt a Road Home “Statement of Principles’’ — developed in conjunction with the grassroots Citizens’ Road Home Action Team, or CHAT — that homeowners can use as a resource as they progress through the program. The principles affirm that all program participants should have access to a fair and swift resolution of errors, disputes and appeals and that the calculation of program benefits should be consistent, fair and accurate. The New Orleans City Council and the Jefferson and St. Bernard Parish councils already have adopted the CHAT-drafted principles.
http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/neworleans/7454706.html?showAll=y&c=y

ROAD RAGE: Latest snafu sets off a civil war in the state Capitol 5/13/07 Times-Picayune, Stephanie Grace, http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1179037752234970.xml&coll=1
Not everyone feels that way. Melanie Ehrlich, founder of the impressively organized and focused Citizens’ Road Home Action Team, deemed the Senate action “irresponsible, to say the least.”
“They should be voting on something that will help the program instead of hurt it,” she said, such as using some of the state surplus to bail out the Road Home. In fact, Ehrlich tagged the LRA as the most functional piece of the recovery puzzle right now, and called the group an “independent voice” that is “providing checks and balances.”

Louisiana Sets Deadline For Storm Damage Claims 5/31/07 New York Times, Leslie Eaton

LRA wants U.S. to fully fund storm programs 6/1/07 Baton Rouge Advocate, Joe Gyan Jr., http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/7778607.html?showAll=y&c=y

6/5/07 New Orleans City Business: Grassroots group calls for surplus to go to Louisiana’s Road Home http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4200/is_20070605/ai_n19290272

Road Home gap worries La. homeowners. 6/14/07 AP article in the Baton Rouge Advocate, WWL 4 TV News, and in newspapers in other states, Becky Bohrer, CHAT members Barbara Le Blanc, Joe Middleton, and Melanie Ehrlich are quoted about the Road Home shortfall in funds.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LA_ROCKY_ROAD_HOME_LAOL-?SITE=LABAT&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/wwl061207jbroadhome.3f551a58.html

Road Home a long one in rebuilding after hurricanes: BUSINESS OF GIVING, 6/23/07 The Houston Chronicle, Shannon Buggs, http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/buggs/4913999.html

Road Home standards tightened: More award letters, closings required 8/2/07 Times-Picayune, David Hammer, http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1186039490288290.xml&coll=1

Road Home hits contract benchmark for first time. 9/3/07 Times-Picayune, David Hammer,Highlighting the two in-flight reviews of the Road Home Program first advocated by CHAT in March and percent house-damage assessment inequities of CHAT member Barbara Le Blanc. http://blog.nola.com/times-picayune/2007/09/road_home_hits_contract_benchm.html

Road Home claims major strides made. 9/18/07 Times-Picayune, David Hammer, Donna Milne, a Lakeview resident who applied for Road Home rebuilding funds on Aug. 21, 2006, said after contesting her home’s pre-storm value in November, she was told she was in resolution starting in January. She got a revised award letter in March, but she still considered it too low because of what she says are errors on her insurance documents. She immediately challenged it formally, sending back an option letter saying she would go to closing, but disputing the grant amount. She said she’s still waiting to close, and said the Road Home Web site still lists her case “in resolution.”
http://blog.nola.com/times-picayune/2007/09/road_home_claims_major_strides.html

Road Home has money to pay grants expected to be issued this year 9/26/07 Times-Picayune, David Hammer,
http://blog.nola.com/times-picayune/2007/09/road_home_has_money_to_pay_gra.html
Ehrlich, among others, dispute the veracity of those reports by ICF that claim all dispute cases older than 60 days have been resolved, in compliance with another of its contractual requirements.
“The reports say no applications are in resolution more than two months, but I have application numbers here of people who are in resolution for many, many months, more than six months,” Ehrlich said. “To determine shortfall, we need to know how many are really in dispute resolution.”
Another problem, according to testimony by Davida Finger, a lawyer who represents dozens of Road Home applicants through the Loyola University Law Clinic, is that applicants often complain about some part of the grant calculation and are never put into ICF’s resolution process, and, if they are, the company may decide their dispute is resolved without ever informing them.

EDITORIAL: Challenged numbers September 27, 2007, Times-Picayune. Road Home contractor ICF International is claiming that it has resolved the vast majority of applicant disputes, particularly those cases that had languished for months. But it’s easy to see why some state officials and program critics have a problem with the company’s numbers.
ICF officials said they have whittled down the list of cases in the so-called “resolution” process from 19,000 to about 3,200. Homeowners who disagree with ICF’s decision in a resolution case can then file a formal appeal and, according to ICF figures, there are about 3,500 active appeals.
The firm has made progress handling cases, in part because it finally is subject to a penalty if it does not. Beginning this month, ICF will pay monthly fines for each resolution issue that remains unresolved after 60 days, with penalties reaching $5,000 per each case in disputes that remain open more than four months. That has pressured ICF to get its act together. But members of the Louisiana Recovery Authority and advocates for program applicants are challenging the ICF’s resolution figures, citing cases in which homeowners claim their concerns have not been resolved.
Some of those cases make it clear that ICF is classifying disputes as resolved without notifying homeowners, who therefore are not getting a chance to formally appeal the company’s resolution. According to the Loyola University Law Clinic, some applicants who complain about grant calculations are never put into ICF’s resolution process. State officials need to examine these complaints and make corrections as needed.
The uncertainty over the exact number of cases resolved has broad implications for the Road Home. The state can’t determine the extent of the program’s shortfall—a figure needed to request more aid from Congress—without a clear idea of how many resolution cases and appeals may warrant additional payouts.
This is why ICF needs to come clean on what cases have truly been resolved and needs to notify all homeowners when it resolves a case. The firm also should open its files to applicants, so people can determine where the dispute lies. If ICF resists, the Office of Community Development should ensure that these steps are taken. And the LRA needs to keep the pressure on the contractor and the state to make sure that happens.
http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1190876555120200.xml&coll=1

Officials: ‘Road Home’ to go broke very soon. Sep 26, 2007, Joe Gyan Jr., The Baton Rouge Advocate. Housing task force member Melanie Ehrlich, a founder of the homeowner advocacy group called the Citizens Road Home Action Team, said many Road Home applicants are receiving far less money than they should be getting. She called for fairer determinations of pre-storm home values.
“All of us would like to make the grants bigger,’’ Kopplin said.
Ehrlich said there is a perception among applicants of a “downsizing of grants’’ because of the projected shortfall.
http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/10027426.html?index=1&c=y

People who elevated their homes may be left high and dry Sept. 30, 2007 Times-Picayune, David Hammer,
Steve Donahue did what he was supposed to do: He and thousands of other New Orleanians raised their flood-prone homes. But in doing so, they may be ineligible to receive thousands of dollars in Road Home grants intended to help elevate their houses. Donahue and thousands of other homeowners find themselves unwittingly caught in a complicated 14-month debate between state and federal officials over how Louisiana can legally spend $1.1 billion in “hazard mitigation” money…
Louisiana initially had hoped to use the money in a way it claims federal officials supported: to stretch Road Home money by using hazard mitigation money to pay applicants who opted to take a state buyout on homes located in the most vulnerable areas. But the plan ran afoul of federal rules because Louisiana wanted to first use the hazard mitigation money to get homeowners paid, then later declare which properties it wished to remove from commerce forever once it had enough of them clustered in one place to justify such decisions.
Yet identifying those properties before buying them is a daunting task in a city where one property owner may want to sell to the state but a neighbor may intend to rebuild. State officials feared an outcome in which the federal government essentially mandates patchwork green space—houses mixed with vacant property that could never again be developed.
Louisiana Recovery Authority Executive Director Andy Kopplin said White House recovery coordinator Donald Powell knew how the state planned to use the hazard mitigation money in its Road Home program, and that Powell promised to help get the money released. Powell said he did not agree to help the state shoehorn the money into the Road Home program in ways that skirt federal guidelines.
Powell’s spokesman, Evan Mc Laughlin, said the White House and the state did agree that the hazard mitigation money was “an appropriate and separate source of funding for elevations and green-space buyouts. Many months later, the Road Home program was created with rules that violated the … law.”
For about 14 months, the state continued to seek the $1.1 billion to buy properties in the most vulnerable areas and FEMA repeatedly rejected the application. Louisiana finally gave up and re-applied for the money earlier this month, this time asking to use it for Road Home recipients’ elevation projects. FEMA said it expects to approve the application after the state answers a few technical questions.
If FEMA approves Louisiana’s application, the state plans to send a letter to all 78,000 Road Home applicants who live inside the 100-year flood plain, notifying them of the new elevation grant program and telling them how to apply.
That could help as many as 49,000 Road Home applicants who qualify for elevation money and haven’t done any of the work yet. Moreover, the new applicants may be able to collect the full cost of raising their house to the base flood elevation, work that often runs $50,000 or more.
Yet those who already raised their homes would not even be able to collect the $30,000 maximum they expected through the Road Home program.
The problem lies in the reviews that FEMA says must be done before it can pay for each rebuilding/elevation project…The strings attached by FEMA’s interpretation of its rules likely mean that the elevation money will come very slowly, and only to those homeowners who have been unable or unwilling to start rebuilding.
And there’s the larger financial impact of this new plan. The Road Home program is facing a budget shortfall estimated between $5.6 billion and $6.6 billion. The state needs the $1.1 billion in FEMA hazard mitigation grants to reduce that deficit and make it easier for Congress to swallow a smaller but still uncertain bailout of $3.5 billion to $4.5 billion.
The state estimates that elevation costs for all Road Home recipients ultimately will be $1.6 billion, but FEMA can pay for house-raising projects only in small batches, meaning that little of the $1.1 billion will flow to the state by the end of the year, when its Road Home program is expected to run out of money.
NOTE: Steve Donahue and KC King are members of CHAT.
http://blog.nola.com/times-picayune/2007/09/people_who_elevated_their_home.html

EDITORIAL: Don’t punish initiative October 03, 2007, Times-Picayune. http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/editorials/index.ssf?/base/news-4/119148008171700.xml&coll=1

FEMA to offer aid to those who already elevated homes. October 6, 2007, Times-Picayune, David Hammer. “If Mr. Donahue has helped them finally see the light, thank goodness, but let’s have the changes then. Let’s not announce the intent to make changes, let’s make the changes,” said Andy Kopplin, executive director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority.
NOTE: Steve Donahue is member of CHAT http://blog.nola.com/times-picayune/2007/10/fema_to_offer_aid_to_those_who_1.html

Road Home review runs into snag: Consultants focus on getting ‘it right’ October 10, 2007, Times-Picayune, David Hammer.
Led by members of the Citizens Road Home Action Team, or CHAT, task force members identified myriad concerns about a Road Home program that has paid out more than 60,000 grants but has more than 100,000 still to go.
CHAT co-founder Melanie Ehrlich railed against a tendency by state and Road Home officials to blame applicants for the slowdowns. “Hundreds and hundreds of them haven’t even gotten a phone call to tell them their resolution case is resolved and what it was,” Ehrlich said.
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/capital/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1191997942267320.xml&coll=1

Road Home progress not enough for many November 5, 2007, Times-Picayune, David Hammer. Mike Taylor, head of OCD’s Disaster Recovery Unit, said on Oct. 25 that the program’s internal records showed Barnett had been sent an award letter twice. Last week, she received two letters, one dated Oct. 26 and another dated Oct. 14 but stamped for the mail Oct. 30. The state offered no explanation for why Barnett got a letter telling her the Road Home was trying to get in touch with her and she hadn’t responded.
On Monday, the Road Home called Barnett and told her she should be going to closing soon.
“It’s been a long, long battle, and my heart goes out to the people who are being strung along like I was,” said a relieved Barnett, a neighborhood watch organizer who says she wants to start working with CHAT so she can share her Road Home experiences with others.
http://blog.nola.com/times-picayune/2007/11/road_home_progress_not_enough.html

FEMA rules change may provide money for homes already raised
November 7, 2007, Times-Picayune, David Hammer. Knapp and a group of homeowner activists called the Citizens Road Home Action Team, or CHAT, told FEMA that if a deadline for starting work is necessary, it should be extended to two years. Also, they contend that FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program is normally for mitigating against storm risks for all properties, not just ones damaged by storms. They want FEMA to make the retroactive money available to all efforts to gird homes and businesses against future storms, whether the projects are part of Katrina and Rita rebuilding or not.
http://blog.nola.com/times-picayune/2007/11/fema_rules_change_may_provide.html#more

Road Home fails to provide letters: Omission persists despite LRA’s prodding November 29, 2007, Times-Picayune, David Hammer. http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-9/1196322346137070.xml&coll=1

Road Home deadline nears; thousands without appointments November 29, 2007, Melinda Deslatte / Associated Press. http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/wwl112907khroadhomedeadline.4fe4e854.html; http://2theadvocate.com http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LA_ROAD_HOME_LAOL-?SITE=LABAT&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT;
http://www.montereyherald.com/ci_7598600?nclick_check=1

Property buyout worries aired: City agency promises aggressive teamwork November 29, 2007, Times-Picayune, David Hammer.
http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-8/1196320731169300.xml&coll=1

Outgoing director says LRA needs new direction
By David Hammer, The Times-Picayune, Monday January 14, 2008,
http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/01/outgoing_director_says_lra_nee.html

Many early applicants waiting on Road Home: Homeowners blamed for some delays
By David Hammer, The Times-Picayune, Wednesday, January 23, 2008
For months [since the spring of 2007], advocates and policymakers at the Louisiana Recovery Authority have been asking Road Home officials to disclose how many of the 70,000 homeowners still awaiting grants were applicants from the first months of the program. The state asked for the data at the Jan. 4 LRA housing task force committee meeting, but the information wasn’t released then. Committee member Melanie Ehrlich finally received a report last week and passed the numbers along to The Times-Picayune.
The report showed that 13,452 of the 67,255 eligible homeowners who applied in 2006 still hadn’t reached a grant closing by last week, including some who were in the pilot program launched in July 2006…
Suzie Elkins, director of the state Office of Community Development, the agency overseeing the Road Home, said many of the old files are not ones for which the calculations are in question, but ones requiring the applicants to take some kind of action to move the process forward.
“We’re working hard, really hard,” Elkins said. “Our goal is to move the homeowner as fast as we can through the system. But most of these cases are dependent on the homeowners.”
http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1201069823185270.xml&coll=1

Road Home applicants pressured, panel told
By JOE GYAN JR. Advocate New Orleans bureau. Feb 7, 2008
NEW ORLEANS — Louisiana’s “Road Home’’ hurricane recovery program, sharply criticized since its inception for moving too slow in getting grants to homeowners, now may be putting speed ahead of fairness, a state legislative panel was told Wednesday.
http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/neworleans/15387296.html?showAll=y&c=y

State promises Road Home fixes
by David Hammer, The Times-Picayune. Wednesday February 06, 2008.
About 97,000 of an estimated 160,000 eligible applicants have received at least some money. But homeowner advocates testified before the state Senate committee Wednesday that many of those who have received money are still appealing for more.
http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/02/state_promises_road_home_fixes.html
Homeowners to receive elevation grants:
Two programs give mitigation money
Saturday, February 23, 2008
By Robert Travis Scott, Times-Picayune
Melanie Ehrlich, a member of the watchdog Citizens Road Home Action Team, said she is concerned the state might be moving in the wrong direction by using the block grants for the elevations.
Ehrlich said the FEMA hazard mitigation program is coming soon and state officials are being too optimistic in predicting how much of the block grant money will be needed to meet all the Road Home needs. Those needs include obligations to shortchanged Road Home recipients who are seeking their full reward, she said.
http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-5/120374882251080.xml&coll=1

Elevation grant rules change by David Hammer, The Times-Picayune Wednesday March 05, 2008
Louisiana has again changed its rules governing grants to raise hurricane-damaged homes.
But not everyone is singing the praises of the new elevation program. Melanie Ehrlich, co-founder of Citizens Road Home Action Team, or CHAT, said the program could lead to a windfall for people whose ICC and Road Home elevation assistance combine to exceed the costs to elevate. She said the flat payments are irresponsible for a program that already has miscalculated how much money it would need, and doesn’t seem to be taking into consideration the potential price of correcting underpayments.
Like Leger, Ehrlich is an LRA Housing Task Force member, but said the whole panel wasn’t given the chance to review the elevation grant plans before they were changed.
CHAT’s pressure did lead the LRA to change Road Home rules on appraisals of applicants’ property values, something that should help resolve many pending disputes. The state announced Wednesday that every applicant has a right to what’s called a “1004 appraisal,” a full appraisal of their home’s value that would automatically trump any other values the Road Home had used to calculate grants.
Ehrlich further encouraged homeowners to take the extra step of requesting access to their entire Road Home file. Some applicants who have managed to see their files have discovered that Road Home was collecting multiple estimates of their home’s pre-storm value—and using the lowest one to calculate their award, even though official program policies said the highest one was supposed to be used, Ehrlich said.
She said she’s been gathering dozens of examples of applicants who were denied their right to their files—sometimes, apparently, because they didn’t refer to the specific policy change that allowed them to do it. She said anyone requesting their full file should reference policy CP-189(a) to hold the Road Home to the new disclosure rules.
http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/03/elevation_grant_rules_change.html

EDITORIAL: Untangling the red tape
Monday, March 10, 2008
...Perhaps the most far-reaching change, however, is the recent decision to let Road Home applicants have access to their case files. The administration of former Gov. Kathleen Blanco and program contractor ICF International opposed the move for months, but it’s the right thing to do, and the state deserves praise for finally taking this step.
Some applicants who have already used the new policy to see their files have discovered problems. That’s why all homeowners who feel shortchanged by the program should ask for their files.
Unfortunately, advocate Melanie Ehrlich says her Citizens Road Home Action Team has gathered dozens of examples of applicants who were denied their right to see their files. In some cases, the apparent reason was that requests did not refer to the specific policy change allowing access to the files. Only uptight bureaucrats would be that obtuse, yet that’s the kind of action people have come to expect from the Road Home.
Ms. Ehrlich understands what her group and thousands of other applicants are up against. So she’s advising homeowners to reference the new policy, CP-189(a), when asking for their files.
But homeowners should not have to remember an arcane policy number in order to see their Road Home documents, and the LRA needs to make sure ICF interprets requests as liberally as possible.
Only then will the promised access be for real.
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/editorials/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1205126486120880.xml&coll=1

Katrina victims complain about red tape
BY JOHN MORENO GONZALES, ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
NEW ORLEANS —Two and a half years after Hurricane Katrina, tens of thousands of miserable homeowners are still waiting for their government rebuilding checks, and many complain they can’t even get their calls returned. But the company that holds the big contract to distribute the aid is doing quite well for itself.
ICF International of Fairfax, Va., has posted strong profits, gone public, landed additional multimillion-dollar government contracts, and, it was learned this week, secured a potentially big raise recently from the state of Louisiana.
In the waning days of Gov. Kathleen Blanco’s administration, state officials increased the management contract ceiling from $756 million to $912 million – this, after the Legislature wanted to fire ICF over its handling of the homeowner recovery program, called Road Home.
“It is outrageous that ICF couldn’t do the job for more than $750 million and that they were given a pay raise after their history of disappointing service,” Blanco’s successor, Gov. Bobby Jindal said in an e-mail Thursday.
Some of those displaced from their homes were equally angered.
“I’m flabbergasted that this company could be so inefficient and could mess up so consistently and for so long,” said Bill Yurt, 57, who has been living in a FEMA trailer for 2 1/2 years.
Yurt said ICF hasn’t sent an appraiser to determine the grant amount that will resurrect his gutted house in Gentilly. And his calls to an ICF caseworker have gone unreturned for a month.
Road Home was created in June 2006 as a state-run, federally funded plan to compensate homeowners for the breach of New Orleans’ government-run levees. Homeowners can apply for grants to repair their homes, or obtain buyouts if they don’t want to fix things up.
Yet, 56,000 applicants – nearly 40 percent of the qualified total – had yet to receive a cent as of last month. Plagued by cost overruns and delays, Road Home is expected to cost the taxpayers $10 billion in federal money and has become another glaring symbol of frustration and red tape in post-Katrina New Orleans.
“Supposedly they had the expertise, but what we’ve learned ever since is it’s been on-the-job training,” said Frank Silvestri, co-chairman of the Citizens Road Home Action Team, or CHAT, a community group that was formed in anger over ICF.
ICF spokeswoman Gentry Brann blamed the state’s ever-changing rules and political meddling by officials and community groups for many of Road Home’s difficulties.
She said that Road Home has come to be regarded as an entitlement program, and said the company must carefully evaluate 157,000 applications to guard against fraud.
“The state essentially redefined the goal of the program from rebuilding to relief in midstream,” Brann said.
She said the $912 million that the company could be paid is to cover the costs of the program and was approved by public officials.
“It’s very important to note this is not a ‘pay increase.’ It’s not actually even ‘pay’ to ICF. Rather it is an increase in the contract ceiling to cover the additional unit price costs incurred by our subcontractors,” Brann said.
Still, Paul Rainwater, the executive director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, which oversees the Road Home, said Thursday he will ask the state legislative auditor to look into the ICF pay structure.
The state got tough with ICF last year, threatening to terminate its contract, and but ultimately set benchmarks to force it to “close,” or decide, cases more quickly.
However, ICF now stands accused of inflating its closing figures by deliberately using red tape, confusion and delays to get applicants to settle for low grant amounts.
“They have been pressured into signing closing documents,” said Melanie Ehrlich, the other chair of CHAT, who has documented nearly 1,000 such disputes. “We know that this includes applicants who had obvious mistakes in the calculation of the grant.”
Ehrlich said more than half of the Road Home applicants who have contacted CHAT say they are appealing their awards. Some report getting letters from ICF telling them they were not eligible for a grant, followed by letters congratulating them for receiving one.
Dorcil Albair, a resident of Cameron Parish, said she got $9,800 from Road Home for damage estimated by her insurer at $49,000. She said she signed Road Home papers with hundreds of others at a local hotel.
“They just shoved the paper in front of us,” said Albair, 65. “It was like an assembly line.”
....
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iLX8wQokuZJefFl7pdM95pZZRTEQD8VCRNOGA
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080313/ap_on_re_us/katrina_recovery_company

http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/16806111.html Study: Home grants lagging
By JOE GYAN JR.
Advocate New Orleans bureau
Published: Mar 19, 2008 – Page: 1A – UPDATED: 12:05 a.m. NEW

Road Home to demand cash back from some homeowners
by The Associated Press
Saturday March 29, 2008, 9:29 PM
NEW ORLEANS —The private contractor under investigation for the compensation it received to run the Road Home grant program for Katrina victims says that, in the rush to deliver aid to homeowners in need, some people got too much. Now it wants to hire a separate company to collect millions in grant overpayments.

Road Home efforts to recover overpayments will not create hardships
by David Hammer, The Times-Picayune Tuesday April 01, 2008
State officials say the Road Home program will not be allowed to go after homeowners for grant overpayments until a government panel reviews each case, and the head of the Louisiana Recovery Authority promised that compassion will be used in any reclaiming of grant money.

Post-Katrina advocacy honors King’s legacy
Friday, April 04, 2008
James Perry
Forty years ago today, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on the balcony of a Memphis hotel. Since then, Dr. King’s reality has been replaced with a seemingly mythological character of the same name.

Road Home blocks way to courts, lawsuit says: Provisions in grant agreement blasted as unconstitutional
Saturday, April 05, 2008
By Frank Donze
Staff writer
Two Road Home applicants filed a class-action suit in federal court on Friday seeking to prevent the homeowner assistance program from enforcing what they claim are illegal restrictions on grant recipients who want to take the state to court after their grant closing.

Monday, April 7, 2008 2theadvocate Road Home applicants sue state over grants’ intimidating wording
By JOE GYAN JR.
Advocate New Orleans bureau
Published: Apr 5, 2008 – Page: 5B – UPDATED: 12:05 a.m. NEW ORLEANS — Two New Orleans area residents whose homes were flooded during Hurricane Katrina accused the state Friday of “intimidating or discouraging’’ homeowners from challenging their Road Home grants.

Rule changes frustrate Road Home applicants
by David Hammer, The Times-Picayune, 7/25/08
Repeated changes in rules for the Road Home recovery program have gradually made it more difficult for applicants to collect the same grants they were once promised by the massive federally financed program…

Group claims LRA is blocking Road Home appeals

"The reason we didn't include it in the action plan is because an action plan takes a minimum of two months to work through the process and it has to be approved by the LRA board, the legislature and the federal government," she said.

State rescinds most Road Home deadlines
by David Hammer, The Times-Picayune Wednesday August 27, 2008, 11:16 AM

After Fanfare, Hurricane Grants Leave Little Mark
By ADAM NOSSITER Published: August 30, 2008

Organized and proud of it
Stephanie Grace, The Times-Picayune September 14, 2008

http://www.wwltv.com/topstories/stories/wwl092208tpfailing.a1ef89c9.html
http://www.wwltv.com/reportcard.ppt
http://www.wwltv.com/topstories/stories/wwl092208tpstatement.a1f17a2a.html

Group gives Road Home failing grades

$99M raise for Road Home contractor quietly paid
09:31 PM CDT on Tuesday, September 23, 2008
John Moreno Gonzales / Associated Press

http://www.nola.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news-6/122240701940590.xml&coll=1

Road Home fix falls short
Process still slow, uneven, critics say
Friday, September 26, 2008 By David Hammer

12/19/06 Times Picayune Letter to the Editor: Steps to help Road Home work http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/letterstoeditor/index.ssf?/base/news-8/1166511666287900.xml&coll=1

2/2/07 Times Picayune Letter to the Editor: LRA Assignability Editorial Letter by Walter Leger Jr. Board of Directors, Louisiana Recovery Authority Assignability of benefits can be a selling point http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/letterstoeditor/index.ssf?/base/news-9/1172820777124610.xml&coll=1

3/29/07 Times Picayune Letter to the Editor: Citizens’ review board needed for Road Home Thursday, March 29, 2007, by Melanie Ehrlich, CHAT http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/letterstoeditor/index.ssf?/base/news-9/1175147592179240.xml&coll=1

4/5/07 Times Picayune Letter to the Editor: Road Home debacle adds insult to injury, again Thursday, April 05, 2007, by Frank Silvestri,Co-Chairman Citizens Road Home Action Team http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/letterstoeditor/index.ssf?/base/news-9/117575173631490.xml&coll=1

4/5/07 Times Picayune Letter to the Editor: Did we really need an audit? Thursday, April 05, 2007, by Ilene Powell http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/letterstoeditor/index.ssf?/base/news-9/117575347231490.xml&coll=1

4/21/07 Times Picayune Letter to the Editor: The Road Home run-around Saturday, April 21, 2007, by Ilene Powell http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/letterstoeditor/index.ssf?/base/news-9/1177133305315090.xml&coll=1

5/3/07 Times Picayune Letter to the Editor: Promises broken Thursday, May 3, 2007, by Frank Silvestri http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-9/1178174476268250.xml&coll=1

6/5/07 Times Picayune Letter to the Editor: Surplus is thanks to rebuilding, June 5, 2007, by Ray Broussard. Our families have waited too long for help… Our homeowners deserve a recovery. The need is urgent.

7/8/07 New York Times Letter to the Editor: Waiting in New Orleans

9/20/07 Times Picayune Letter to the Editor: Grill candidates on recovery. Frank Silvestri
The real test of what the candidates for governor plan to do about the recovery should begin with the question, “What are they doing about it now?”
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/letterstoeditor/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1190272712169640.xml&coll=1
http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1198390858300920.xml&coll=1

12/23/07 Times-Picayune Letter to the Editor Owners need grants, not ICF self-congratulation
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Re: “Road Home deserves recognition, not ridicule,” Your Opinions, Dec. 20.

Letter: ICF gets break; applicants don’t

Thousands wait on hold as ICF bumbles along*
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Re: “ICF misses a deadline,” Our Opinions, July 7.
Frank Silvestri
Co-Chairman, Citizens’ Road Home Action Team
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/letterstoeditor/index.ssf?/base/news-12/121592732462640.xml&coll=1