Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) – The Restore Louisiana Homeowners Assistance program could be a life saver for some who have yet to get repairs to their homes since the 2020 hurricanes and flood of 2021.
However, we talked to one homeowner in the program who thinks he may be getting poor-quality work that is not up to code. But state officials overseeing the federal program say that can’t happen.
James Babin was pleased to be picked for the Restore Program, anxious to finally get repairs behind him and see the storms three years ago in the rearview mirror.
He says the contractor started in April. Yet, he has seen work in his house that he says makes him question the quality of the repairs and whether workers are doing what they are supposed to do.
“I’ve been out of the house since April. It’s a process, I understand. But the process with the contractors, the slow work and failing inspections, being out of your home already is bad enough. And then over the years, it’s just getting worse,” he said.
Babin would like to see Restore Louisiana better oversee the work done through the program.
“They should have somebody from their office come and oversee these workers and contractors and make sure they’re doing their job and not hustling them out of money,” Babin said.
He says the City of Lake Charles tagged some of the work.
Officials with Restore Louisiana say they cannot talk about individual cases, but that the work is guaranteed. So, the contractor will have to fix anything not finished or done properly. They also say in this case, the company at the residence is properly registered for the work.
Pat Forbes is the Director of the State Office of Community Development.
“Any project that we’re working on is not going to look complete when the contractor is halfway through. So, that’s just what construction projects look like. They are not ready for inspection until they are done,” Forbes said. “When we get done, the house is going to be in decent, safe, and sanitary condition, livable condition. If it didn’t have proper wiring before, it will when we get done.”
Forbes says a homeowner with a complaint should first talk to the contractor’s people at the house. He says the contractor can arrange a walk-through and answer questions.
“If a Restore applicant feels the work is not being done correctly, according to the scope of work, they should actually call the Restore Homeowner Program,” Forbes said. “We want, need, have every incentive to ensure that every one of these houses is better than it was before the storm here. That’s not just our objective, it’s our mission.”
He says they will absolutely follow up if a homeowner feels work isn’t being done properly.
“We have all the resources we need to make sure this work is done great,” he said.
Forbes says they have third-party inspectors who can go check the work.
Forbes says anyone with a complaint who is not satisfied after discussing it with the contractor should call their case manager. If still not satisfied, he says a homeowner can call 866-235-7001 to lodge a complaint. He says contractors and subs are licensed and bonded and have a contractual obligation to make timelines or pay damages.
Forbes says using the same process and many of the same contractors, they rebuilt 17,000 homes after the floods of 2016.
He urges anyone who may be eligible to take the survey required for eligibility and take advantage of the program, which he says will result in a stronger home than before the storm.
“And you and your family will be more resilient into the future,” he said. “We build to higher standards than before the storm.”
Forbes says they hired two primary contractors: Dynamic and Lemoine and that each has sub-contractors and each works directly on projects. He says all contractors must have licenses and their subs must have licenses.
In the case of Babin’s house, a trailer parked in front was labeled “2C Construction & Roofing.” We could not find a license for the company, but a spokesman for Restore says Dynamic subcontracted Millennium which brought on 2C which is a registered home improvement contractor, to perform electrical scope. Dynamic and first-tier contractor Millennium have electrical permits filed with the City, so all permits are held by licensed contractors who ensure all project work is completed up to code, along with the jurisdiction inspection at the end of the project work.
After we visited the house, the homeowner says the workers began removing their equipment, reportedly pulling off the job that same day. So we asked the state. They said one had nothing to do with the other.
The state says homeowners must have the contractor’s representative to enter the home. Officials say it was just a coincidence they left the property the day we showed up for the interview. There’s been no estimated date for when the work would resume.
Time is running out for those who want to see if they are eligible for Restore Louisiana funding. That’s to repair homes damaged in the 2020 hurricanes or flood damage. The deadline for completing the survey is August 1.
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