[FoCHAT] CHAT: Inspector General for ICF but Applicants Need Extended Appeals and Investigation For Fair Grants

[Melanie Ehrlich]

Dear Concerned Citizens,
   
  Since the LRA has now acknowledged the "poor performance history" of ICF, as tens of thousands of Road Home applicants know all too well for well over a year, it is essential that every applicant who requests it be given an unedited copy of their file. Then they must be allowed to appeal mistakes in their grant or re-appeal, as necessary, under a drastically improved appeals system that is not vague, circular, nontransparent, or extraordinarily drawn out. 
   
  Moreover, some reputable, highly experienced independent group who has not worked on the Road Home has to look at ICF's data set to find mistakes in grant amounts that applicants are unable to find themselves, given the complexity and lack of clarity of the rules. It does no good to the applicants to just decrease ICF's take without increasing accuracy and fairness of grants for the applicants, many of whom need the money to be able to maintain home ownership.
   
  To our Friends of CHAT members (FoCHAT; sign up for our newsletter at chatushome.com), I will send some notes from tomorrow's LRA Housing Task Force meeting and hope that all issues directly relevant and critical to the above statement and to those unfairly denied any grant will be discussed at that meeting. More after that meeting.
   
  If you want to present public comments at that meeting, you can if you keep them to 3 min of polite non-redundant remarks and sign a card to speak (ask the Sergeant-at-Arms for one). You need not come to the beginning of the meeting to speak.
   
  Melanie Ehrlich
  Co-Chairman, Citizens' Road Home Action Team
  Member, Housing Task Force
  http://chatushome.com
   
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
  March 17, 2008
  MEDIA CONTACT:
  Christina Stephens
Louisiana Recovery Authority
225.342.1790
christina.stephens at la.gov
  
LRA Executive Director Calls for Inspector General Investigation of ICF International Contract
  
BATON ROUGE, La. (March 17, 2008) - Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) Executive Director Paul Rainwater today called for an investigation by the Louisiana Inspector General into the contract of ICF International, the private contractor that runs the Road Home program. ICF International received a $156 million raise in December.
  Rainwater has previously called for an investigation by the Legislative Auditor into ICF's contract. LRA staff have already started meeting with the Legislative Auditor about the issue. Rainwater issued the following statement today about the IG's investigation:
  "It's troubling that ICF International was given a pay raise in spite of their poor performance history and that it was done through a process that seemingly excluded the notification of the state legislature or the general public. 
  "Today, I have requested that State Inspector General Stephen Street join the legislative auditor in investigating how the amendment to the ICF contract was negotiated, what notification process, if any, occurred, and what our possible options are for renegotiating the contract."
  "We owe it to the people of Louisiana, and especially those continuing to recover from the 2005 storms, to ensure that every taxpayer dollar is fully accounted for and dedicated toward its rightful purpose of aiding our state's recovery and rebuilding."
   
  AGENDA and MEETING NOTICE
  Louisiana Recovery Authority Housing Committee
  Tuesday, March 18, 2008
  2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
  University of New Orleans Research and Technology Park
  Lindy C. Boggs International Conference Center
  Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA
  [NOTE: HOMEOWNERS AND LANDLORDS ARE INVITED TO VISIT WITH ROAD HOME COUNSELORS ON SITE TO ASSIST THEM WITH THEIR APPLICATIONS TO THE ROAD HOME HOMEOWNER AND SMALL RENTAL PROGRAMS.]
   
  1. Call to Order
  2. Roll Call
  3. Pledge of Allegiance
  4. Chairman’s Comments
  - Walter Leger, Chairman – Housing Taskforce
  5. Data Analysis on Road Home Processes
  - George Penick and Rick Eden, RAND Corporation
  6. Results of Report on Rental Housing Demand of Orleans Metro Area
  - Milton Bailey, Louisiana Housing Finance Agency
  - Greg Rigamer, GCR & Associates
  7. Staff Reports
  - Wil Jacobs, Alternative Housing Pilot Program
  - Dave Bowman, Housing Data Summit
  - Marisa Robertson, FEMA Temporary Housing Transition
  8. Small Rental Action Plan Amendment on Lending
  - Calvin Parker, Wil Jacobs
  9. Road Home Homeowner Program – Issues and Discussion
  - Walter Leger, Chairman
  10. Public Comment
  - 3 minutes maximum per speaker
  11. Closing Comments
  - Walter Leger, Chairman
   
  
COX10 TV is showing the CHAT meeting from Feb. 27 about house elevation allowances; use of FEMA vs. HUD funds for elevation and how that could help applicants; changes in Road Home policy leading to unequal treatment of applicants; pointers for many applicants in distress who are negotiating the Road Home Program; CHAT’s proposed solutions for much fairer grant administration. The 2-hour meeting has been or will be televised at the following times:
Sun., March 2, 1:00 PM; Mon., March 3, 1:30 PM; Tues., March 4, noon; Thurs. March 6, noon; Fri., March 7, 1:30 PM; Sat., March 8, 3:30 PM; Mon. Mar. 10, noon; Tues. Mar. 11, 1:30; Thurs. Mar. 13, noon; Fri., Mar. 14, 1:30 PM; Sat., Mar. 15, 3:30 PM; Sun., Mar. 16, 8 AM; Tues. Mar. 18, noon; Thurs. Mar. 20, noon; Sat., Mar. 22, 3 PM 
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