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Research based learning
"Providing resource supported answers."
Since researching issues within the Disaster Recovery Industry I have noticed change comes not from protesting in front of the state capital. It comes from actually publishing data and solutions for our government agencies to read, take ownership of and make happen.
With this said, I propose we publish verified data anonymously directed at the individual agencies that are holding us back.
1. HUD waiting on feedback from all state and commonwealths regarding the issue with SBA DOB. We can speed this process up by publishing facts to every governor so they don't waste time asking their state agencies to produce data showing HUD dollars are needed with SBA if selected.
2. SBA has to be shown as not following it's SOP. This data is very easy to find with OIG searches but I feel if we focus on the living expenses which are not taking into account we will have better results.
3. OMB (Office of Management and Budget) overseas all taxpayer dollar programs and is in place to reduce government waste, fraud, misuse, etc. This section within OMB is all about not using Taxpayer money to pay for Taxpayer Secured Loans (SBA). We find the solution that does not allow for agency dollars to overlap and you have your solution with the OMB.
4. State Grantee, Governors do have a HUD fund of $50 million annually to use as they please in times of disasters. The state knows how it can be "Creative" and move money from one program that is designed to fail to fund another program the state actually wants to fund. Construction Loans are being put into place that are forgivable at the time of completion, zero interest, zero payments. Those that have additional repairs or reimbursements according to policy should be allowed a piece of this taxpayer funded construction loan program.
It's mostly logical approaches that will get HUD to listen. I feel HUD is not close to offering Guidance related to the Stafford Act. I do feel we put all our eggs in one basket which isn't something to take to the bank. We are not limited to working just with our politicians. I really think the Senator from Nebraska may help more than the Senator from Louisiana and the Senators from New York and New Jersey are waiting for a group to resolve the DOB with SBA issue to keep homeowners from increasing their disaster recovery debt.
I haven't found any statistics showing the costs of disasters on homeowners. But if I took a small sample from our group I would guess most everyone has had at least a 25% increase in monthly expenses related to the disaster. Add that our current storm types and how frequently we are seeing them we'll need to add 2.5% per year if we could predict you would only have storm damage every 10 years.
This is what I feel, I know numbers count, real household numbers are better and when I incorporate what our state leaders say is "Excessive Monthly Debt." I can make a better argument that with or without SBA as a DOB your household has had an increased monthly debt since the flood and your pre - disaster income needs to increase or your post - disaster expenses need to be reduced. There is nothing in that which can be counted as a DOB when it protects your household from financial hardship / ruin / default / bankruptcy.
Date: 4-18-2019 Updated: 4-18-2019 Subject:
Resources published here are segments of research projects of past, present and future. All items published will soon be in articles that tie the subject matter together for the big picture results.
Resource Research is also the way we find things out of place in our world today.
This section is completely keyword search enabled so you can find just the topic you need to support your own research projects or to assist in our research resources. We have created a simple copy link so you can embed or link to the resource if you use any segment of this section.
Keep your information open and transparent at all times. You'll find this section grows often and is currently supported by one person so if you are looking for a specific document or topic related to Disaster Recovery use the submit question.
To submit a question you are actually submitting a research resource topic. Your topic will remain offline until the research has been completed. If you have the research and it can be validated please use the contact pages first.
Date: 12-30-2018 Updated: 3-4-2019 Subject: How To Research
FOIA State of Louisiana OCD-DRU 5-23-2018: Request copies of any communications between the Governors Office (J.B. Edwards) and Restore Louisiana Homeowners Assistance Program related to waiving state requirements that contractors working for Restore LA or IEM Inc tasked with rebuilding, repairing homeowners homes damaged by the 2016 floods (DR4277, DR4263) be licensed and insured as per state contractors licensing board rules, regulations and state laws.
(State of Louisiana Reply)
Your public records request, dated May 23, 2018, was received by the Division of Administration on May 23, 2018. We are conducting a search for records. Once the search is finished, the records will be reviewed for privileges and exemptions. We will contact you as soon as the review is completed, and all non-exempt records will be made available to you.
Thank you,
Public Records Requests
Division of Administration
State of Louisiana
Email:doapublicrecords@la.gov
Date: 1-4-2019 Updated: 1-4-2019 Subject:
Requested date: 5-23-2018
As of May 11, 2018
1. Total number of households pending Homeowner Responsibility (Solution 2) and Homeowner Escrow (Solution 1).
2. Total number of LMI Households awarded CDBG-DR Grants that have closed on the grants.
Reply: State of Louisiana DOA 6-7-2018:
Reports do not currently exist that are responsive to your specific public record request. However, with respect to item 2, HUD does publish a quarterly report, the most recent of which is attached, that shows at page 8 of 49 that as of in the first quarter of 2018, 1978 grant awards to LMI households were executed, for a cumulative total of 3321.
Attachment download: Flood DRGR 1st Quarter Reports
Reports do not currently exist that are responsive to your specific public record request. However, with respect to item 2, HUD does publish a quarterly report, the most recent of which is attached, that shows at page 8 of 49 that as of in the first quarter of 2018, 1978 grant awards to LMI households were executed, for a cumulative total of 3321.
Attachment download: Flood DRGR 1st Quarter Reports
Date: 1-4-2019 Updated: 1-4-2019 Subject:
Requested: 5-29-2018: Copies of Active Contracts that are listed online in the OCDDRU folder but do not have the actual contract linked.
- Franklin Associates, LLC Louisiana Housing Corporation 2/12/2016 6/30/2019 $7,143,250 $3,618,750 To perform environmental reviews and homeowner inspections. CDBG-DR funds represented are related to 2016 Flood Work. Other components of the contract funded through other sources.
- Alpha Media and Public Relations pending New Corp. 5/28/2016 7/7/2016 $33,413 $33,413 Restore LA Marketing and Outreach.
- GrantAnalyst.com, LLC 192237977 Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry 3/16/2017 3/15/2018 $6,100 $6,100 ?Online grant application management system.
- Spears Consulting 837070833 TruFund Financial 5/15/2017 5/15/2018 $40,000 $40,000 Marketing/Public Relations spent as of 11.30.17.
- Start Corporation 859805285 Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals 12/1/2015 6/30/2018 $2,802,482 $2,802,482 ?To provide support services required to help individuals rebuild their lives after homelessness, institutional care or other disruptions due to the Flood of 2016. (multiple sources of disaster funding)
- Volunteers of America 0750049916 Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals 12/1/2015 6/30/2018 $49,999 $49,999 To provide support services required to help individuals rebuild their lives after homelessness, institutional care or other disruptions due to the Flood of 2016. (multiple sources of disaster funding)
- Westaff 788265564 TruFund Financial 5/4/2017 11/30/2017 $25,686 $25,686 Temp Services.
- Xerox Corporation 137644035 Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry 10/16/2017 6/30/2018 $988 $988 Copy machine
>>> State of Louisiana DOA OCD-DRU response.
Dated: 6-6-2018
You will be receiving, or have already received, an e-mail invitation to access a dropbox from which you will be able to access the documents referenced below.
Please click on this link to view the contracts: Dropbox Link to document download.
Dated: 6-6-2018
You will be receiving, or have already received, an e-mail invitation to access a dropbox from which you will be able to access the documents referenced below.
Please click on this link to view the contracts: Dropbox Link to document download.
Date: 1-4-2019 Updated: 1-9-2019 Subject:
Freedom of Information Request Date: 6-1-2018: I would like to know who and what department created the webpage at this address: http://www.doa.la.gov/Pages/ocd-dru/for_training.aspx
I find it not useful at all and when so many public records are missing from the OCD-DRU website pages I feel this is a waste of government resources to allow to be viewed by the public.
State of Louisiana Response dated 6-5-2018:
Your public record request e-mail, dated June 1, 2018, was received by the Division of Administration on June 1, 2018. Upon review, your e-mail does not present a public records request as described in Louisiana R.S. 44:1(A)(2). As such, we are unable to provide a response.
>>>> NOTES <<<<<
Web page was removed and replaced with a redirect to the main page. The state did not acknowledge the report.
Date: 1-4-2019 Updated: 1-4-2019 Subject:
Freedom of Information Request dated 6-18-2018.
Copy of the OCD-DRU policy regarding NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program) ICC (Increased Cost of Compliance) funds with respect to the calculation of duplication of benefits (DOB).
>> State of Louisiana Response 6-22-2018 <<
See attached manual and/or view at this link:Attached Homeowners Manual version 3.1 and download link
pages 51 to 52 of the document pertain to NFIP (building and ICC) and DOB calculation.
Date: 1-4-2019 Updated: 1-4-2019 Subject:
Freedom of Information Request: 6-26-2018, Copy of the "Declined SBA Award Policy".
This document is referenced in
1. "Draft ReLa Program Management Policies (Attachment VII) Page 31 of 189"
2. "Homeowners Manual version 3.1 page 52 under SBA Verification"
>>> Response State of Louisiana <<<
Date: 6-28-2018
The "Declined SBA Award Policy" is found on page 52 of the manual you refer to in your email below. This is the current policy:
"Applicants who have applied for an SBA loan but have a record of declining the loan or have not executed the SBA loan may be considered for RLHP funding, but awards will be adjusted to account for any SBA DOB. If a low to moderate income (LMI) household has declined an SBA loan, a hardship will be presumed and the SBA loan will not be considered a duplication of benefit. SBA loan declination is defined as an applicant having never executed the SBA loan documents."
When the "verification" paragraph states: RHLP Declined SBA Award Policy – it is referring to the paragraph above it in the manual (see snip image below).
Date: 1-4-2019 Updated: 1-4-2019 Subject:
We publish stories with the intent to help others that follow in our post disaster footprints.
Disaster victims often do not want to relive the ordeal but many that have just became victims or have been searching for answers may learn from your experiences of disasters long past. It is our goal to share with others so we all may rebuild and recover faster. Sharing experiences, post disaster experiences, from cleanup to rebuilding and all points in between. Let's document the processes each victim had to complete after the Presidential Disaster Declaration or the Emergency Declaration has been signed into action.
- We require 600-2400 words.
If you require additional space consider making two or more submissions which we will group together if possible. - Must have 2 or more pictures that have not been reduced in size or edited to change meta information.
- Must have strong argument about issues that you have experienced.
- You must have researched each issue, point of interest or experience declared and offer resources or sources to provide a solid foundation and weight to your experience.
- Do not cite or copy journalists, editorials or the opinions of others. This is your experience only.
- You allow us exclusive use of your experience article to share with all who are willing to republish your experience in it's entirety without edits or omissions.
- We will take no longer than 10 working days to review and accept your experience article.
- If we feel editing is needed we will return the article to you with notes.
Our goal is to publish everyone's disaster experience. - Include your experience article in an email, a document attached to an email or our website form.
- Include your disaster record number (DR), name (First,Last), street address, city, state, zip, phone, and email address.
We will use your personal information to verify your disaster experience. We will exclude your name from your article and only reference the DR number. Otherwise you must tell us you would like to release your name with your article and then clearly state what personal information you would like included in your by line.
E-mail: archive@LouisianaRecoveryAuthority.Org
Date: 12-30-2018 Updated: 12-30-2018 Subject: Your Story
"Gross Negligence, Gross Incompetence and Willful Misconduct, Restore Louisiana Homeowners Program" the series.
Tonight's episode entitled "Gross Incompetence Elevation Costs" episode 1.
NOTE: You might find this a bit humorous, but it's actually based on documented facts of 2 groups separated by 10 years working on flood recovery projects.
Restore Louisiana Homeowners Assistance Solution 2 Reconstruction program is closing in on it's first complete home elevation and reconstruction project.
Despite being handed the full Reconstruction program policy and procedures, Solution 2 Reconstruction team is still in the beginning phases of creating Process and Procedures.
According to research, outsourced workers and management have taken nearly one year to process one homeowner and still have yet to document the steps in processing Solution 2 Reconstruction homeowners.
Historical data shows state workers employed as workers worked more efficiently than outsourced companies hired by state workers.
It was found in the year 2008 that state workers awarded 18,914 homeowners with elevation grant money using the system they called, "Simplified Award Process." Current state outsourced management (2018) refuse to follow the 10 year old proven simplified processes and are determined to make a complicate process more complicate than rocket science.
The states Simplified Award Process distributed 18,914 checks in the amount of $30,000 to homeowners in less than one year. Outsourced Solution 2 Restore Management has yet to establish procedures to determine foundation costs even after being given the procedure by the Solution 1 Reconstruction team.
Stay tuned for the onsite Solution 2 Reconstruction podcast series coming next year, maybe, if policy doesn't change.
Date: 12-30-2018 Updated: 12-30-2018 Subject: State Contractors
Comment: Insurance will be needed or you will get nothing. But even then you will need to know how to navigate a system that the states create to make it impossible for them to navigate. Insurance required to cover federal assistance received.
Financial disaster recovery planning team within the Administration grant funding.
OCD-DRU trainer for all county, parish, city, town planning and zoning departments for HUD compliance training.
Resource: HUD OIG Report 2013-FW-0001
>> Start snip of report page 19,20 <<
Some States Did Not Take Sufficient Steps To Protect the Invested Federal Funds
Some States did not require adequate homeowners' insurance for the homes built or rehabilitated with Disaster Recovery funds. Texas initially did not require insurance. It modified its program for the Katrina, Rita, and Wilma second allocation and, along with Louisiana and Florida, required insurance for 3 years. Alabama adopted a deed restriction that "strongly encouraged" insurance. For the Gustav, Ike, and Dolly allocation, Texas again modified its program and stated insurance was required, but its policy, like Alabama's deed restriction, stated only that failure to maintain insurance "may" impact future disaster assistance. However, Mississippi took an aggressive stance by requiring a transferable covenant that required insurance at all times. These variations occurred because HUD allowed the States maximum feasible deference in the implementation of their Disaster Recovery programs as allowed by the State CDBG program.
HUD needs to adopt a best practice to address the issue of insurance to ensure that the Federal funds invested in the assisted homes are protected in the event of future hurricanes or disasters. Since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, an additional 10 hurricanes and other storms have hit the States and caused damage. Further, our audit of Texas13 found that Hurricane Ike had damaged homes repaired or replaced by Katrina, Rita, and Wilma grant funds, which lacked insurance. In one extreme case shown in figures 10 and 11, an uninsured home suffered significant structural damage, and the homeowner inquired about additional disaster assistance for his recently replaced home.
The Texas audit also found that of a sample of 59 Katrina-, Rita-, and Wilma funded homes tested, 38 homes were later damaged by another hurricane or storm. Of the 38 homes, 23 did not have insurance. Based on a projection of the sample results, at least 133 of 453 reconstructed or rehabilitated homes or homes awaiting reconstruction lacked insurance and were damaged or are at risk of being damaged by another storm. The report concluded that if Texas changed and improved its action plan and policies, an estimated $60.2 million in program funds could be saved.
For Hurricane Isaac, which struck in August 2012, initial reports estimated damage to 13,000 homes in Louisiana located in the same areas previously affected by Katrina. Since Louisiana required insurance for only 3 years, there is the potential that damage had occurred to Disaster Recovery-assisted homes completed before 2009 that may lack insurance, as the State's required insurance period had expired and nothing would prevent homeowners from seeking additional Federal assistance.
>> End snip of report page 19,20 <<
Date: 12-30-2018 Updated: 12-30-2018 Subject: Transparency
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