153. Restore Louisiana Town Hall Meeting Monday 8-5-2019 Public Questions Jones Creek Regional Branch Library 6222 Jones Creek Road, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70817

Town Hall Meeting 6:30 pm Monday 8-5-2019 Public Questions

@ Jones Creek Regional Branch Library
6222 Jones Creek Road, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70817

  1. Can Restore Louisiana hold things you say in a public forum or in a social media group against you and your household?
  2. Can the program collect information about you from social media posts and use this information within the program against you or to single you out?
  3. OCD-DRU Legal and Management says if they determine you are not cooperative with them, their procedures, policy, or methods they can rescind your grant. So if a homeowner questions authority, the same authority can say the homeowner is not cooperating and terminate the grant, is this correct?
  4. Why are the >120 percent AMI groups being penalized and only being offered half of what others are being offered?
  5. Why are the >120 percent AMI groups made to wait longer for repayment?
  6. Can the >120 percent AMI groups reasonably expect to receive checks to repay SBA Loans?
  7. Why don't we go ahead and handle those who took less than offered by the SBA, regardless of AMI?
  8. What time period or tax year is the Restore program using to calculation AMI?
  9. We have had a loss of income because of the flood and have not returned to our previous adjusted gross income levels. Why is the state using 2015 tax returns instead of our actual tax returns for the 2016 year to calculate AMI?
  10. I'm on a fixed income, over 60 years of age and was told to apply for an SBA. Our home was paid off, FEMA promised $33k but only delivered $15k. We had no flood insurance and were basically forced to take the SBA loan. None of this makes sense to me and the Restore Program people are not answer my questions.
    1. What is the actual timelines we should expect to see for SBA repayment checks to arrive?
    2. When will the Restore Program review for additional unmet needs and possible reimbursement for repairs we made out of pocket after the SBA loans are paid in full?
  11. The first allocations of CDBG-DR grant funding was focused on homeowners living outside the flood zone, had no flood insurance, over 60 or disabled. Using this same methodology we could say all homeowners who did not live in a flood zone would have SBA repayment 100%. Those who had no flood insurance and lived outside of a flood zone would have 100% repayment. Those over 60 or on fixed incomes or disabled would have their SBA loans paid in full. Then those below 80% would be handled and after that all other groups.
    1. What would keep the state from distributing HUD Grant funds using this method?
    2. If the program funding is the question we can ask the governor to repeal Action Plan Amendment 11 for the $172 million to fund the original SBA issue before funding other programs as the governor promised at the task force meeting in July 2018.
  12. Many households who did not take SBA Loans received grant money regardless of AMI. Why is AMI now a factor in Action Plan Amendment 12 when it didn't apply to the households that declined the SBA loans?
  13. Can you show us an example on how AMI is calculated?
  14. When applying for the hardships, how many of the listed criteria in Action Plan Amendment 12 do you have to meet in order to be eligible for a hardship?
  15. Why is AMI even a factor? The flood didn't discriminate.("Repeal and Replace APA 11.")
  16. Why did the Restore Program re-open the application process when Governor Edwards increased reimbursements from 50% to 100% adding an estimated 1,200 additional households to the program if he knew the program would be short nearly $110 million to repay SBA loans?
  17. Why did the Governor say at the Task Force Meeting in July 2018 that the state would do nothing before HUD Guidance was issued and then have his appointed director and task force say they were looking at closing the program for all solutions in the fall of 2018?
  18. If I sell my home today, am I still eligible to receive Restore Funds for my SBA Loan as Solution 3 homeowners who sold their homes and were reimbursed for their repairs?
  19. Do I have to stay in my home and wait for the state and HUD to decide if they will offer any SBA repayment money to me or can I sell my home, move on with my life and see a reimbursement check later if the state and HUD rule in my favor?
  20. We are below 80% AMI, SBA approved us for $80,000 and we drew down only $50,000 and paid it back already, would the Restore program reimburse us for our $50,000 SBA Loan that we paid off?

    Same question but for 80% to 120% AMI using current HUD Guidance as our rule.
    1. We are between 80% and 120% AMI, SBA approved us for $80,000 and we drew down only $50,000 and paid it back already would the Restore program reimburse us for our $50,000 SBA Loan that we paid off?
    2. We are greater than >120% AMI, we only drew down part of our total approved SBA Loan and we paid it off in full. Public Law 115-123 shows we are not to be penalized the difference between what was approved and what we drew down from the SBA ($30k). Will our grant be recalculated to show only the $50k in SBA DOB and will Restore then reimburse us the money we paid out of pocket for all the unmet needs that was over our drawn SBA loan amount?
  21. We took only a portion of our SBA loan, $50,000 of the $80,000 approved and since paid back the loan in full with interest from our savings. Under the new Guidance from HUD when we sign the agreement to not draw SBA funds again will the Restore program reimburse us for our personal funds used as repayment to the SBA? Will the Restore program then recalculate additional repairs paid out of pocket and additional unmet needs?
  22. If they already have guidelines and approved guidance for SBA, when will disbursements start for people less than 120% AMI and only drew some of the approved loan amount from SBA?
  23. Would you explain in detail but also in simple terms why the >120 percent AMI community is last to be reviewed for HUD repayments?
  24. Can you also explain in detail but in simple terms why the >120 percent community is only eligible for 50% of their SBA loans?

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