Homeowners Say Sandy Recovery Program Has Kept Them From Getting Back To Normal
TRENTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Storm victims have offered harsh criticism for a Superstorm Sandy recovery program.
As CBS2's Elaine Quijano reported, the federal government committed $1.1-billion to New Jersey. It's just one of the places where homeowners said the program is keeping them from getting back to normal.
Homeowners Sue Elliot, Kris Pyzyna, Trudi Stawinski, and Rob Buck turned to a state run recovery program. They are among 8,300 New Jersey residents in the state's largest Sandy recovery initiative, known as RREM.
"Honestly, the worst decision I made was going with this grant program," Pyzyna said.
Pyzyna is not alone in her frustration. Last week, scores of homeowners protested the state's slow pace of recovery.
"I figured I could trust this," Elliot said.
More than two months after being told to vacate the house, Elliot's assigned contractor had not started work on her home.
"They didn't have the proper bond, they didn't have the proper insurance. The engineering company that they hired didn't even come to New Jersey, so the plans were incorrect. Actually on our plans there is a picture of someone else's house," she said.
Pyzyna, a lawyer, said her contractor made life-threatening errors with her boiler.
"He had taped it in with duct tape. I hired my own plumber to come in, and he knew right away that the vent was improper. I would have had a massive CO leak, and it would've killed me," she said.
A CBS News review of the 32 state approved RREM builders found that nearly half are from outside of New Jersey, mainly Texas and Louisiana. Several faced lawsuits, bankruptcy, or consumer complaints claiming shoddy work.
One builder allegedly left the program last summer, but was still signing construction agreements months later.
Rob Buck was assigned to that builder in September.
His house is in worse shape now than when he turned it over to them. There's two feet of water in the basement, black mold has crept up walls, and the house which is now uninhabitable has started to sink.
Buck has been living in temporary rentals, including a hotel, while he waits for work to begin.
"Every day I have to worry about what I'm going to do, where I am going to go," he said.
Stawinski was also assigned to that builder last fall and is still waiting for construction to begin.
"It just takes a toll on you. Mentally, physically, financially. You take ten steps forward and you go 40 steps backward. It's hard, it's hard," Stawinski said.
New Jersey officials said all RREM builders were vetted and chosen based on their qualifications, but an independent integrity monitor said there was not 'due diligence' in screening the contractors.
CBS2 tried to get a comment from the State Department of Community Affairs, the agency that administers the program.
The DCA acknowledged that Sandy recovery has been a difficult road.
"The state has never had to do anything of this size and scope before. In the RREM program, homeowners either had a contractor assigned to them by the program or they've hired their own contractor. The state had never had to do anything of this size and scope before. In the RREM program, homeowners either had a contractor assigned to them by the program or they've hired their own contractor. In either case, protections are in place to ensure homeowners have contractors who are qualified to do the work," the DCA said.
