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Although homeowner appeals during the recovery process are inevitable, case managers can take preventative measures to prevent applicants from taking their appeals to grantee. This can save applicants, case managers and program administrators time and hassle.

IBTS has processed close to 2,500 homes for programs receiving funding from the the HUD’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, and been able to mitigate nearly all homeowner appeals.

IBTS Economic Development and Disaster Recovery (EDDR) Coordinator Erica Bueno and IBTS EDDR Team Leader Ian Diem share their advice to help case managers minimize homeowner appeals and navigate the process when they do occur.

Be aware that homeowners may have unrealistic expectations about the funding they receive.

• Explain the basic parameters and goals of the CDBG-DR program to homeowner applicants on day one. This means that their preferred design and materials choices may not be allowed or covered under the program.
• Provide a clear explanation of the scope of work, the funding they will receive and the process moving forward.

Make sure homeowners know their role in the process.

• Encourage applicants to contact you at least bi-weekly. They should take responsibility for staying involved in the process and in communication with you.
• Make sure the applicant knows their role in the process – it is their responsibility to provide you with required documentation, such as home ownership information, proof of income and power of attorney, in a timely manner.

Notify applicants they have the option to request a change order after the construction process begins.

• Let homeowners know that the scope of work is not set in stone and they can still submit change orders to make construction material changes once construction contractors are in the field. “It makes people more comfortable about not putting in an appeal,” Diem says.
• Change orders are much more likely to succeed, faster and a less-exhaustive process for all involved.

Develop an appeal form.

• “Appeal forms work great because the homeowner’s complaint is in their own words,” says Bueno. A different appeals form for each disaster assistance program needs to be developed to meet the specific needs and requirements of the program.
• From an administrative standpoint, set clearly defined parameters for the form upon implementation – this is the form we will use, this is how we’ll process them, this is the time limit on the appeals process, for example.
• To avoid controversy and public backlash, make sure rules are universally applied to all applications.

Provide applicants with options.

• “Give applicants a different avenues to help them,” Bueno says. “For example, if it’s an ownership issue, refer them to legal aid; if it’s a duplication of benefits (DOB), give them a form and try to resolve it.”

Try to handle appeals in-house before an applicant contacts the state or program administrator.  

• Explain that if homeowners submit an appeal, it will delay construction on their home, sometimes by months. An appeal should be the last resort for an applicant.
• Keeping appeals in-house benefits applicants and case managers. Generally, case managers don’t get paid until the job is closed out. Preventing appeals from going to HUD or the state keeps the process moving quickly to prevent delays in payment.
• If the appeal is something you can answer, give homeowners a specific reason as to why their appeal isn’t allowed under the program. “Even if it’s copy and pasted from the rulebook, give them an answer,” says Bueno. “Spell it out and explain it to them, and let them know that sometimes rules are rules.”
• Common appeals requests that can be addressed in-house include:
  • Scope of work requests to repair damage that didn’t result from the storm. Make it clear from the start that CDBG-DR assistance only covers storm damage repairs – if only three windows were damaged in the storm, an applicant appeal to replace all windows will be denied.
  • Construction material appeals for items not on the approved list of construction material. CDBG-DR, and most other disaster recovery grant programs, provides a list of approved materials – such as countertop, tile, paint color and roof cover – that can be used in the program

Be prepared for applicants who know what can and cannot be done, but will fight it anyways.

• Encourage case managers to notify the state or other grantee when an applicant will be submitting an appeal. The goal is to alleviate the burden on the administering agency to make the process run smoother and more quickly for the community.

Explain to the homeowner that you are legally required to give them everything they are eligible for under the CDBG-DR program. “It can help to tell applicants that case managers are legally obligated to give them everything the program allows them to have,” Diem says. “We are doing everything we legally can to help.”

Get everything signed in the pre-construction meeting, and make sure the homeowner understands the details of the agreement.

• Make sure the applicant understands everything that they are signing so that they are not surprised that they approved things they didn’t want.

Read more about the services IBTS provided as a subrecipient of the CDBG-DR program for Cleveland County, Oklahoma.