By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

SOME people who received aid from the previous administration’s small home repair programme used the money to buy such things as “high end mattresses” and mirrors, Disaster Reconstruction Authority executive chairman Alex Storr said yesterday.

His comments came while announcing that the DRA has launched a new home repair programme geared towards assisting Abaco and Grand Bahama residents with post Hurricane Dorian reconstruction.

The new programme, called HARP (Homeowners Assistance and Relief Programme) will replace the former administration’s small home repair initiative and will focus on roof, window siding, plumbing and electrical repairs.

Some $2m has been allocated so far for the new programme, which is being launched in phases.

“The programme will be different from the predecessor as the authority will now seek to procure building supplies in bulk and directly include direct employment of skilled labour,” Mr Storr said during a press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday.

“We have established a reconstruction unit to assist as many homeowners as possible with their reconstruction efforts. We do recognise that all governments are limited financially which is why we sought to change the model to this one.

“Purchase orders and direct grants will no longer be used as we discovered some received funds but their homes are still in repair.

“On that note, I would like to announce that homeowners and businesses are being notified that all outstanding purchase orders that are out there are being cancelled.”

He said the first phase of the programme’s launch will consist of DRA workers assessing storm impacted homes.

The process begins today and will continue for about two to three weeks.

“They will go door-to-door with those that are currently in our database as well as those who call to request assistance,” Mr Storr also said. “If you have experienced damage that you can prove was caused by Hurricane Dorian, please contact our offices and a representative will assist.

“We have recently developed an assessment tool app that will be used by our assessors to log building material needs and assessment reports for each homeowner.”

Mr Storr said the app will allow workers to be more organised and have a better understanding of the needs of storm victims, noting there were several deficiencies with the former programme.

He said the Davis administration found some people who received funds from the previous government for home repair used the money for purchases not on the DRA’s approved list instead of fixing damage to their homes.

“We discovered categories of damage that was not confined to reconstruction parameters and what is considered major damage,” he said. “In some instances, we saw high-end mattresses and interior mirrors, for example, being purchased with aid funds.”

Further elaborating on these purchases, he added: “I saw one purchase order and invoice that was paid for I think a $2,500 mattress using funds that were supposed to be used for home repair.”

He said many of the purchased items were not on the DRA approved list and instead approved by workers in the agency.

He also claimed that the programme was oversubscribed.

Asked if he thought the initiative was being abused under the former administration, the DRA chairman only said he preferred letting investigations run its course, adding the chips will “fall where they may”.

Hurricane Dorian hit Abaco as a Category 5 hurricane on September 1, 2019 before barreling toward Grand Bahama.

The storm left thousands of homes either destroyed or damaged and hundreds of residents displaced.

Three years later, Mr Storr said there are about 1,500 homeowners who are still in need of home repairs.

These are storm victims who had applied to the agency for help, but have yet to receive funding approval.

“That doesn’t include those who have not applied (to the DRA) before for various reasons or those that were rejected,” the DRA chairman added.

Asked yesterday if he thought $2m allocated for the initiative was enough to help survivors, Mr Storr said the amount was only “a start and a tip of the iceberg”.

He said the DRA expects more donations in the days ahead and added that officials are working feverishly to get more assistance.

Mr Storr continued: “That is why we are still seeking donations and we are working on several ways to get more material. We have negotiations with NGOS as well as persons who have interest in some of the major suppliers in the US to try and get better prices and some of them are even willing to donate an equal amount to what we purchased.”

He also gave an update on the demolition process of the government’s dome project in Spring City.

Plans to have the structures demolished and taken off the property by August were announced in July.

“The Ministry of Housing has carriage over that project,” said Mr Storr. “I know from speaking with them, there has been a short extension granted, but so far I think that there are twenty-two persons that have moved out and have received or are in the stages of receiving their assistance.

“Others have reported their plans and so we hope those that may need assistance, like I know some needed repairs to their existing structures, so we are willing to facilitate that and we will be trying to help them get out as soon as possible.”