[FoCHAT] Letter to the Editor, Monday Dec 24, 2007

[laura]

Owners need grants, not ICF self-congratulation








Sunday, December 23,
2007






Re: "Road Home deserves recognition, not
ridicule," Your Opinions, Dec. 20. 

 ICF International got a $756 million contract because it
was supposed to be adept at handling a program like the Road
Home. The public hears over and over about how many initial
appointments have been held and homes evaluated. 

 But applicants cannot get out of crowded,
formaldehyde-ridden FEMA trailers or pay rent and avoid
foreclosure on their homes with ICF appointments and home
evaluations. Such things require fair grants.


Untold thousands of applicants for federal tax-derived
dollars have been stranded because of ICF's mistakes in
determining pre-storm home value, square footage or
insurance benefits, confusion about the rules and attempts
to make benchmark deadlines by poor procedures (see KPMG
report). 

 Many applicants give up after they are pushed to go to
closings with major mistakes in their grant. We know of
dispute resolutions and appeals that have not been resolved
for more than six months, although ICF states that no one is
in appeal more than two months. 

 Most telling is ICF's refusal to comply with the LRA
Housing Task Force's directive to release important
performance statistics about the number of applicants who
applied more than a year ago and how many of these have been
left in the dust without grants or even award letters. 

 We await ICF and the state agency with immediate
oversight, Office of Community Development, to stop making
excuses and help suffering applicants get their fair grant. 

Melanie Ehrlich 

Co-Chairman 

Citizens' Road Home Action Team 

New Orleans



Here's the link:
http://www.nola.com/timespic/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-10/1198390858300920.xml&coll=1

 







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