[StBernard] Governor Blanco sets new immediate expectations for Road Home program

[Westley Annis]

Governor Blanco sets new immediate expectations for Road Home program
Personal calls to citizens, improved pace and quality assurance listed as key priorities


BATON ROUGE - Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco announced new immediate expectations of ICF International, the organization implementing Louisiana's Road Home program today. As the Road Home establishes an accelerated pace, Gov. Blanco is requiring ICF to exceed this month's goal by raising the cummulative total of award letters to citizens from 10,000 to 25,000 by the end of December. The Governor is also requesting that ICF personally call thousands of citizens who have applied for the program but have not yet scheduled appointments to see a housing counselor. 

"The Road Home program is making progress, but I will not rest until 100 percent of our homeowners receive the money that we have made available to them," Governor Blanco said. "I am instructing ICF to surpass its new accelerated pace by getting an additional 15,000 award letters into the hands of citizens. It is also critical that everyone who has applied for assistance is served, therefore I request that personal calls be made to citizens who have been asked to schedule appointments at the housing assistance centers, but have not yet done so."

Gov. Blanco summoned top Road Home officials to the Governor's Mansion last month and requested that 10,000 award calculation letters be mailed to Louisiana homeowners by the end of November. Gov. Blanco requested administrative changes, removed bureaucratic roadblocks and worked with Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon to urge cooperation and assistance by insurance companies to fast track the Road Home program. As a result, more than 10,000 letters detailing individual options were mailed to Louisiana homeowners in November.

The Governor is also asking that ICF strengthen their quality assurance measures. 

"We must have accuracy in the information provided to our citizens who have been through so much. Our people must be served promptly and fairly and the information they receive must be accurate. I am calling on ICF to ensure our confidence in this effort," Gov. Blanco said. 

Gov. Blanco's goal will raise the total number of final award calculation letters sent to homeowners from 10,000 to at least 25,000 letters. The Governor is also instructing ICF to offer personal assistance and answer any individual questions and concerns by calling all recipients who receive an award letters. Homeowners will receive these calls a few days after they are scheduled to receive their award letters so that they have time to consider their options.

Gov. Blanco also wants the number of completed appointments to increase. As of November 28, 83,058 applications were submitted to the Road Home program. Of these applicants, 72,550 people were sent letters asking them to schedule an initial appointment and 32,375 appointments were complete. Housing Assistance Centers across Louisiana and an additional center in Houston can host a combined 1,100 personalized appointments each day. 

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The Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation
Louisiana's Fund for Louisiana's People
www.louisianahelp.org