Update on Bayou Towers
Houma (Houma Terrebonne Housing Authority) - Here is a Public Service Annoucnement from Houma Terrebonne Housing Authority Director Wayne Thibodeaux.
Demolition and mold remediation work is proceeding ahead of schedule at Bayou Towers. Discovery of more contaminated areas than originally included in the scope of work created the need to negotiate changes with the contractor that included adding demolition work and removing certain put back tasks. We identified 70 units where mold contamination required various levels of demolition and required reconstruction once demolition and mold remediation is completed. These changes resulted in increased cost as well as time extensions. The contract completion date of record is January 22, 2009.
Initially, the Executive Director believed that once demolition and remediation was completed, some residents would be allowed to return and occupy BT amidst the reconstruction work with an anticipated completion date of mid March. After additional consideration of the challenges, dangers, and exposure to the PHA and tenants resulting from the contractor bringing in supplies, materials, and tools while working to reconstruct certain common areas and apartments, the E.D. sought consultation from the agency’s attorney and representatives from its property insurers, the Housing Authority Insurance Group (HAIG). Based on advice sought and given from the persons above, the E.D. has decided to complete all work at BT, estimated completion date is March 16, 2009, before any resident is allowed to return. Over 40 residents from BT remained housed in Hotels and Motels while others remain with family and friends.
A couple of weeks ago, representatives from the U.S. Postal Service in Houma visited my office to inform me that they would no longer allow displaced tenants from BT to call for undelivered mail at the Houma Post Office. They claimed the enormous amount of traffic and Human Resources required to attend to this daily chore has become burdensome and the postal service would no longer offer the convenience. They gave the PHA and its tenant’s two (2) options. One options included change of address forms by tenants that would take three (3) to four (4) weeks to become effective. The second option was that they would set up what amounted to a “mini-post office” at BT with letter cubicles containing all BT addresses. They would return all mail being held at the post office, already sorted and placed in correct apartment address slots to BT and immediately begin to deliver the mail to the PHA and the PHA would sort it and deposit to appropriate slot. All BT tenants would be informed that mail was being delivered to the BT office and they could call for it at the PHA’s office. I agreed to take possession of the mail operations and all responsibility which came with it and so far this process appears to be working to the satisfaction of all displaced BT residents.
In conference with FEMA reps at 10:30 a.m. this morning and had an exhaustive discussion about the projected completion date change for Bayou Towers and the scheduled and needed work at our Senator Circle Family Site. I concluded that those representing FEMA are genuinely willing to work with the PHA and the displaced residents to insure that financial assistance with temporary housing remain in place until both projects are restored to pre-storm condition. There are no tenants occupying the BT development and no rental income has been collected post Hurricane Gustav.
Bids for the SC wind (roofs) and flood work will be received by January 20, 2008. We continue to await the completion of insurance adjustments for Wind and Flood at the SC site. In my discussion with FEMA representatives via conference telephone call this morning, they appear to be willing to place mobile homes at the SC site, parked next to units that were not damaged, in an effort to accommodate those persons who are displaced and will be displaced by demolition and reconstruction work at the site. What I pledge to do was negotiate the transfer of these units back to the PHA as soon as repairs are completed in an effort to transition temporarily housed tenants back to permanent housing in SC.
I continue to meet with SC residents at 10:00 a.m. each Friday but fewer and fewer are attending and therefore I have decided to schedule these meeting on a bi-weekly basis. The meetings were first established with the intent of providing weekly updates and as time pass and folks resettled, whether in flooded unit or not, fewer and fewer are in attendance each Friday. The HTHA Board of Commissioners at their last meeting held November 25, 2008, by motion and duly second, required all persons living in units in SC to pay December Rent. Prior to this action, heads of household whose units were flooded had their September, October, and November rent waived. Persons occupying flooded units effective December 1, 2008 were duly notified that their rental payment obligation for December must be satisfied. Most but not all have paid. The PHA plans to file the appropriate Notices for Eviction for Non-Payment of rent in Houma City Court on all non payers. The property exterior has been cleaned and I look forward to completion of this project.
I’ve met local reps of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) a couple of times over the past several weeks and they continue to make various requests on behalf of the tenants in SC. The agency has provided FEMA with the list of displaced HTHA tenants from BT and SC including telephone contact numbers and their last reported whereabouts. The agency will continue to have discussions with appropriate persons and agencies to affirm its commitment to remain responsive while taking proper action toward restoration of all properties to good repair and the resettlement of all whose lives are disrupted by the two natural disasters, Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, in the Terrebonne Parish community.