Contractors hired to train CDBG-DR state employees for HUD are not aware of SBA policy which allows misinformation to spread. The worse enemy of a disaster victim is a poorly trained Office of Community Development Disaster Recovery Unit.

By Murray Wennerlund published 7-12-2018 updated 7-12-2018
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More specifically, what does it mean to rebuild with next to nothing leaving you dependent on federal and state agencies that seem not to understand the urgency of the matter.

By Contributor published 6-27-2018 updated 8-11-2021
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Speaking out during the Public Comment period for Action Plan Amendment 11 with focus on "Seed" funding of state projects from Homeowners Assistance grant funds which US Taxpayers funded.

By Murray Wennerlund published 3-12-2019 updated 1-15-2022
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eGrants Award Instructions dont change often but when they do you need to know what changed and you need to read your grant instructions. You may not be aware of all the policy rule changes that may place you as ineligible anytime during your recovery.

By Murray Wennerlund published 4-16-2019 updated 1-15-2022
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When you first applied to the Louisiana Restore Homeowners Program you may have thought this would be easy. You flooded, you do not have enough money to rebuild. HUD offered grants to homeowners, then the Louisiana OCD-DRU stepped in and took 60% away.

By Contributor published 8-23-2018 updated 2-25-2023
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The SBA data feed which is used by the State of Louisiana Office of Community Development to determine duplication of benefits may contain inaccurate information that is penalizing homeowners thousands of dollars and may disqualify them from HUD Grants.

By Murray Wennerlund published 7-14-2018 updated 7-14-2018
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Do you know how much authority your Louisiana Task Force has over your HUD CDBG-DR Disaster Relief grant funds? Quite a lot, according to the Action Plan Amendment 9 published in the Louisiana OCD-DRU website.

By Contributor published 7-19-2018 updated 1-15-2022
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What started as a calm murmur of the possibility that disaster victims will be paying more for materials to recover after a disaster has turned into a loud distress siren. Between pandemic caused reduction in soft wood production and 20 import tariffs.

By Murray Wennerlund published 8-29-2020 updated 8-30-2020
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Ms. Smith did everything right after the 2016 floods in Louisiana. Her family collected every dime they had, used insurance and took an SBA Disaster loan to rebuild their home. Their home was completed before they leaned about HUD CDBG-DR grants.

By Contributor published 3-2-2019 updated 1-15-2022
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HUD Guidance published June 2019 suggests state grantees may not have budgeted according HUD National Objectives. State agendas not serving the Low- to Moderate-income (LMI) communities may have limited funding to SBA DOB victims in higher income classes.

By Murray Wennerlund published 8-3-2019 updated 1-15-2022
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