After Hurricane Katrina tax payers paid $1 billion for homeowners to
fortify their houses against future storms. Today 7 years later a new
government investigation finds that $700 million of that money is
missing.
According to Founder of When I'm Mobile.com Jonathan Thaler latest reports indicate Katrina victims were granted the money but decided to use it elsewhere.
Federal investigators say more than 24,000 homeowners who received as much as 30,000 dollars each to repair their homes either used the money for
something else or didn't provide sufficient document to the state to
show the work was done. But according to Sara Flounders from the International Action Center the money didn't even reach the hands of those in need.
Thaler says more government oversight on how the money was allocated may have prevented such a hefty loss.
And now there is fear this kind of fraud could happen again.
flounders says any measure to delay the funds will only harm those most effected by Hurricane Sandy like the poor and elderly.
President Obama signed a 50.5 billion dollar bill to help rebuild after Sandy in January. With Congressional leaders already calling for tighter controls on where the money goes the road to recovery will no doubt be longer than expected.
Soundbite Sara Flounders
The department of housing and urban development set forth a plan where individuals receive funds only after they've completed rebuilding projects, however it's yet to be seen how this proposal will sit with sandy victims who've lost everything and will now have to dip into their pockets to rebuild their homes.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/04/05/296583/report-hurricane-funds-misused-in-us/
Originally collected by
fetching...
(
less)
