To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to ensure that unmet needs after a major disaster are met.

Published 3-28-2019 search group

Open Letter to Congressman Graves posted on Facebook.com Congressman Garret Graves comment by Murray Wennerlund.

The language sounds like you're talking HUD but you start with the federal management agency.

This would really work better if you could get the Administrator of the Emergency Management (FEMA) to address the disaster assistance delivery. If we could add to H.R. 1311 verbiage making FEMA refer disaster victims to either HUD or SBA based on FEMA's financial controls which would need to be modified from their current method of identifying if a household has at least one income maker.

If we had FEMA refer the Low to Moderate Income (LMI) which HUD identifies as 80% AMI or less directly to HUD CDBG-DR federal assistance and all those at 120% AMI or greater to SBA then you only have to figure out how to manage the middle income families that most likely do not have enough resources available to them to make a full recovery without adding serious debt burden on their households.

Simply by splitting LMI off in the first week we would have saved over 29,000 families from being denied assistance later with the Restore Louisiana program.

If those that had incomes at 120% or greater were advised by FEMA to seek "Other Assistance Elsewhere" which means their income and credit would have allowed them to seek conventional lenders which would not have resulted in the SBA DOB issue we face today. It would have instructed credit worthy households to take conventional loans even if the interest and terms were not as good as the SBA. The loans would have not penalized them thus making them "Reimbursements" in the HUD CDBG-DR program.

So the only demographic and the heaviest in voters is the 81% to 120% group, either directly these households typically run at 75% of their total income to reoccurring debt. To add the financial burden of a disaster to their households it normally means they seek additional income. They are below the cash in hand market standards to qualify for loans in the amounts for a Assistance Elsewhere approach with their recovery as the 120% AMI groups are. This middle class group uses more credit cards that are very high in interest rates. This short term cash advance system at 17%+ interest adds a financial risk of default on the primary mortgage not to mention the stress this type of debt causes. For these households we need a focus on local banks willing to offer lines of credit to rebuild that may have state backing but not federal taxpayer dollar backing which would make the credit line a DOB.

The hardest group to fund is also the same group suffering in the recovery process.

Recap: Between the below 80% and the above 120% comparing programs we use today both demographics would suffer ZERO in structural repairs. HUD CDBG-DR Grants for the 80%, 100% reimbursements to the 120%.

Where is the wording that focuses on the the middle class 81% to 119%?

By the way, you're doing great with pushing the Stafford Act.

Now let's push the Sequence of Delivery amendment so we can get people fixed in the first 3 months instead of the last 3 years of the HUD CDBG-DR program.

Research Resources:

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170 research topics

No inspection from FEMA? Registered and reported Minor Damage but able to live in my home? Only Remote Telephone Inspection? Home Repair Funds less than actual repairs?

#454 published 12-27-2022 updated 3-4-2023 1 min. 9 seconds read, search group Inspection.

If your manufactured home was damaged or developed unhealthy living conditions after a declared disaster due to the disaster can I receive a grant to replace my mobile home?

#443 published 1-23-2023 updated 3-4-2023 1 min. 26 seconds read, search group Manufactured Home.

Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program will provide assistance to homeowners who need to demolish and reconstruct their disaster damaged home.

#449 published 1-14-2023 26 seconds read, search group Damage.

How to use our Research Based Learning pages to better understand a subject, to collect the missing pieces of the puzzle, to start a research project or to close out your research project. Resources published here are parts or segments of..

#1 published 12-30-2018 updated 12-12-2020 1 min. 55 seconds read, search group HowToResearch.

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY: NON-PAID OVERWORKED NONPARTISAN

#241 published 4-23-2020 1 min. 9 seconds read, search group PSA.

Federal Disaster Assistance

When you are navigating the federal disaster assistance agencies your first stop should be to the TruckAndTools.Com Disaster Resources. Every disaster agency uses the same process but not every disaster agency follows strict policy and guidance. Don't go into your disaster recovery with blind trust of your federal and state agencies that are leading the push to get you sheltered and out of the program.

SBA Updates data processed from research between 11-2019 and 12-2019

#183 published 1-18-2020 3 min. 25 seconds read, search group SBALoans.

CDBG DR Award calculation letter determination on the eligibility of your grant.

#182 published 12-26-2019 2 min. 42 seconds read, search group GrantAwardLetter.

State of Louisiana Restore LA Program managed by the OCD-DRU says it will not pay interest on SBA loans.

#181 published 12-15-2019 2 min. 40 seconds read, search group HUDGuidance.

Understanding your SBA Phase and following the HUD disbursements of funds to pay off or pay down your SBA loan

#180 published 12-10-2019 3 min. 34 seconds read, search group SBA.

Contribute when you can.

For some households, the information I provide helps them get back in their homes. Others I've had a hand in helping them recovery from some of their disaster debt burden. In any case, when you use the information I provide and it's helpful and makes you more successful with your disaster rebuild or new construction then feel free to contribute what you can and when you can. It helps with the hours of unpaid research and reading.

Questions for Congressman Graves Live Facebook event 12-5-2019

#179 published 12-5-2019 4 min. 24 seconds read, search group Transparency.

170 research topics

Homeowners Disaster Recovery and Debt Reduction Assistance Handbook eBook and Website

By Murray Wennerlund 10-19-2023

Providing Guidance for Managing Financial Burden after a Disaster.

Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance Program Extends Application Deadline to Tuesday, Oct. 31

By Murray Wennerlund 10-11-2023

If you know someone who applied for HUD CDBG-DR Grants and was invited to complete the application process please send them a reminder, call them, tell them Ill help them complete the application if necessary. Dont let GRANT funds go to the state!

General Contractors and Residential Builders are missing out on $157.25 to $168.00 sqft builds!

By Murray Wennerlund 9-29-2023

General Contractors snubbed 2016 flood victims when asked to construction new homes at 108/sf. Today the same builders are not responding to 157.25 plus per sqft, why?