You are going to appeal every time limitation you are presented. Let's work with real-world issues and keep focused on making progress. No matter if it takes you 3 years to recovery you're going to push forward each and every week of every year until you are whole once again.
Solution 2 Manufactured Home Owners have more requirements to complete before they can schedule their grant execution signing. (Previously known as Grant Closing.)
Once the program provides you with your scheduling for your grant closing you are on the clock. Typically grant signing can be scheduled within two weeks, at times due to the number of applicants it may actually be scheduled out one month. The program uses the grant closing / grant execution as their first reason to rescind your grant. The state knows their are obstacles for the low-income moderate-income households that typically take longer than 30 days to square away.
- Securing a private loan to pay down the duplication of benefits caused by the FEMA Housing Assistance Repair Grants.
- Limited supply of manufactured homes in your area.
- Dealerships willingness to provide sales agreement without down payment or secured loan.
- Temporary housing during site preparation and new manufactured home placement.
- Elevation Certificate surveyors scheduling delays.
If I made a task list for you to complete it would look like this;
- Purchase Agreement with manufactured home dealer.
- Removal of damaged home if replacing the home.
- Site preparation.
- Transportation and delivery of the new home.
- City or Parish Permits.
- Sales tax.
- Title transfer.
- Elevation certificate.
- Elevation costs.
- Mechanical installation costs.
- Electrical installation costs.
- Plumbing installation costs.
- Interior and exterior 504 / ADA accommodations costs.
If you're repairing your manufactured home and your home is less than 10 years of age with under $18,000 in damages for a single-wide and less than $23,000 for a double-wide you'll most likely fit the solution 3 reimbursement program best. Keep in mind any and all roof repairs has to be reviewed to Restore Louisiana requirement of IBHS Fortified Roof options for manufactured homes. Ask your repair contractor or read the guidelines for the IBHS Fortified Roof program.
For those replacing their manufactured home due to damage and age of the home you have many tasks to complete before you even get to talk numbers with the program.
If you live in a single-wide your maximum grant amount would be $80,000. Your goal is to find a manufactured home dealer that has a home you like in that price range that includes full turn-key sales so you don't have to worry about finding sub-contractors to finish the job. The grant check will be made out to the dealer for the invoice price. If you keep your costs below $80,000 for a single-wide and below $120,000 for a double-wide you should not see any out of pocket expenses. That would be unique since most of us never seem to find things within budget limits. So if you need to add funds to your grant to make the purchase get a qualified loan as quickly as you can so not to delay your grant signing and closing.
If you have received a letter from the Restore Louisiana Homeowners Program that gives you 30 days to complete a task or your grant will be rescinded don't stress over it to quickly but don't ignore it either. The state will rescind your grant if you don't put forth the effort to complete all the tasks. It might be more difficult than you first imagined and you wouldn't be alone with that discovery.
Just keep up with your appeals letter, and make sure you respond every 5 to 7 days to your Case Manager or CTA. It's important that you document all communications so stop with the phone calls and start with the emails. If you do not have a case manager or a CTA then you will be using the programs hired communications and outreach people to keep your account updated. Send your emails to info@restore-la.org and you would be covered but you must complete the tasks you are assigned.
If you aren't getting the help or just don't understand your responsibility send me a note and I'll see if I can explain it better than the state. I'll also help with appeals letters and keep you focused on what you can and cannot appeal.
So get those 13 tasks completed in a reasonable timeframe. Find a good manufactured home dealer or ask me for one to refer you to.
Keep making forward progress and don't let government spreadsheets and form letters stress you too much. Don't ignore them but don't get angry and quit the grant recovery program.
Resource: RESTORE LOUISIANA HOMEOWNER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM POLICY MANUAL Version 2.0 10-3-2022 Page 33
