The Road Home program, a federally funded program designed to help Louisiana residents affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita rebuild their homes, will hold an information session Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Efferson Hall, at the south gate of campus.
Road Home program advisors will be available to answer questions about the program, the application process and where applicants that have already applied stand in the process.
Advisors will also discuss the rental program, which is a separate program for property owners geared toward helping them rebuild and encouraging them to rent their units at affordable prices.
As of July 9, the program calculated more than 150,000 applicants and has disbursed more than $2 billion in award money to help Louisiana residents get back into their homes. Road Home program statistics show more than 35,000 closings had been made.
State-hired ICF International is the prime contractor and responsible for executing the program.
Along with ICF, 23 other companies have been hired to evaluate and appraise homes and close deals with homeowners.
One challenge plaguing the Road Home program is a lawsuit filed by Metairie homeowner Donald Massey.
“I am very disappointed in ICF,” Massey said. “They have been a failure. It’s ICF’s commitment to get that money to people, and they have failed.”
ICF was hired in June 2006 and is scheduled to make $756 million paid by the state of Louisiana for their services.
“These people have failed to administer the funds expeditiously,” Massey said. “We are only asking for the people to comply with contract.”
Massey claimed in his lawsuit that ICF slowly took his application and sent him a letter saying he was not eligible for funds. But Massey calculated at least $130,000 worth of damages.
The firm later notified him saying they mistakenly included damages for the wrong house and that he was eligible for approximately $70,000.
One month later, ICF admitted to basing the award on the wrong square footage and decided to award him nothing because they said his home had not suffered enough damage.
“The program isn’t being handled consistently and isn’t following their own policies,” said Massey’s attorney, Robert Couhig, Jr. “It is causing harm to people like Mr. Massey who are dependent upon this program.”
Couhig said their goal is to make sure the program is implemented fairly and in a timely manner so the recovery of Louisiana can begin.
Brann said she cannot discuss any lawsuits in detail.
“My claims are typical but not alone,” Massey said. “All we are asking is that the court makes sure ICF is doing what they promised to do.”
—Contact Stacy Coco at [email protected]