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Turning things around [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102513734084&e=001LARsedzZw1wu9ph7jde7547QR5B8KuA9P6H9x6Q-8mNMkqEhlX8f0aoYj2M4c3z2v2EobKqRi2hwq7fthD9emUf82VwuD_oSAYEAMcAxWiMRbABHvpXnmQcn2NrANF6iiFYYZqNVzRc=]

Project Homecoming helps rebuild homes in New Orleans
by Bethany Furkin [mailto:Bethany.Furkin@pcusa.org]
Presbyterian News Service
NEW ORLEANS, LA - The purple house on a residential street here definitely stands
out - it's bigger and brighter than the surrounding houses. But what isn't so obvious
is the story of how it came to be.

Linda and Alton Minor live here with their 14-year-old son. They were here before
Hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005, but in a different house, which was flooded
with four and a half feet of water. When they came back to town a year after evacuating,
they decided to rebuild and began working with a local contractor.

That was the beginning of a long journey full of disappointment and worry but, finally,
peace.

The contractor's work started well, Linda Minor said. He used environmentally friendly
materials when possible and started pouring concrete and forming the basement. But
when it came time to start building walls, things began to fall apart.

The wall panels had to be installed in a specified order, but instead of following
the manual, the contractor and his partners placed them haphazardly, trimming pieces
to make them fit. The Minors trusted that the workers knew what they were doing,
 but when one worker fell while on the site, they became aware that there was no
 real supervision or plan for the construction.

They then began noticing that the stories of the house weren't level or stable. 
The stairs weren't properly aligned. Window and door frames wouldn't have passed
 a code inspection. Support columns on the front porch were weak. And when they 
tried contacting the contractor about their concerns, he became unavailable.

"At that point, I knew I had to get somebody else," Linda Minor said.

The Minors didn't have insurance and were using a disaster loan from the U.S. Small
Business Administration to finance repairs.

This kind of situation is common in New Orleans, said Jean Marie Peacock, associate
presbyter for congregational development and disaster recovery with the Presbytery
of South Louisiana [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102513734084&e=001LARsedzZw1wplsvRg5ORFfkWgJub9tClxxVfUw_StRs8obG_Qbdwt88y7Ch0N2SJ31o-KwJLl2-Z1D7TebeXpbCJ8BMCS3E-G1BWVG_xA5wvpe5wEJTihg==].

"Contractor fraud is a huge issue here," she said, adding that the University of
 New Orleans is working on documenting cases of fraud. "There's heartbreaking stories
of people who spent what money they had and got broken dreams."

In addition to contractor fraud, people who are rebuilding must deal with theft,
 Peacock said. Often, only one house on a street is being rebuilt at a time, while
surrounding houses remain empty. That lack of neighbors means no extra eyes to look
out for thieves, who often sneak onto construction sites and steal doors, gutters
or cabinets for their own homes.

Alton Minor learned about Project Homecoming [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102513734084&e=001LARsedzZw1x7u8UxXQl0E_0qWVRTCTW_p09JNrtPEQFf9SDedKiS1DHL5I4BkKaQOjQBWYaYS5ItlnueA04vzLidu6UBFCn68bK-RZjoFUYpqLJ2j-RMD9gbwCsHf0QO],
the rebuilding outreach program of the Presbytery of South Louisiana, after meeting
Richard Maag, mission outreach coordinator, at the gym. At first, the Minors didn't
think they'd be eligible for assistance because they feared they'd be seen as irresponsible
for hiring a bad contractor.

To be eligible for help from Project Homecoming, applicants must have a combined
 household income at or below 80 percent of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development median income level. For a three-person household in 2008, the New Orleans
HUD median income was $44,050.

Priority is given to those who are uninsured, underinsured, elderly or disabled.
 Other initial qualifying criteria: the home must be in New Orleans or St. Bernard
Parish, the home must have been damaged by Hurricane Katrina, the applicant must
 own the home and have done so before the storm and must have funds and/or materials
to complete the rebuild.

Project Homecoming does not have a case management service, but does make referrals
to case managers at other agencies for applicants.

After determining the financial eligibility of an applicant, Project Homecoming 
staffers visit the house to assess how much the rebuild will cost. Jobs that require
licensed professionals, such as plumbing and electricity, are contracted out. At
 the Project Homecoming office in New Orleans, current projects are listed on a 
board; a ledger of receipts, donations and other information is also kept for each
house.

Administrative costs for Project Homecoming are funded by Presbyterian Disaster 
Assistance [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102513734084&e=001LARsedzZw1zvY5lWfDInyvqwLhpn_grIhuFlVD6gk_3LQt6cUtzAla5-bBnxD6-bfy4wXjffYbbvrI2lY8Z5DDO5SHIIQWlZbwpTFe5K4t_sU2xhXyd1jw==],
and donations pay for building materials, professional services and home furnishings.
By using volunteer labor, Project Homecoming can make rebuilding possible for many
who would otherwise be unable to afford it.

At the Minor's house, volunteers have been working since January to repair and rebuild,
allowing the family to move forward.

"We would not be here if the Presbyterians had not come in," Linda Minor said. "What
a blessing the Presbyterians have been for us. They took a mess and turned it around."
www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2009/09226 [http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102513734084&e=001LARsedzZw1wu9ph7jde7547QR5B8KuA9P6H9x6Q-8mNMkqEhlX8f0aoYj2M4c3z2v2EobKqRi2hwq7fthD9emUf82VwuD_oSAYEAMcAxWiMRbABHvpXnmQcn2NrANF6iiFYYZqNVzRc=]

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