TAMPA, Fla. — A taxpayer-funded program to help low-income and seniors get back into their homes ravaged by Hurricane Irma in 2017 has hit another delay.
State officials tell 10 Investigates that all homes in the program will be completed by the end of the year. In May, the same officials said homes were set to be completed by July 25.
That’s when the contract with the state's vendor, IEM, was up. IEM, the disaster recovery business won a $250 million contract to oversee the rebuild program.
Those in the program say they can’t deal with any more delays.
“There are no words for it,” said a Rebuild Florida recipient, Wendy Aguiar. She says her lot still sits empty waiting for a new mobile home. “I still have to pay HOA fees for it.”
Wendy joined seven other recipients of Florida’s Hurricane Irma Repair and Replacement program on a Zoom conversation after hearing that IEM’s contract was ending and there was a new deadline to complete the homes.
“They’ve been making promises to us for four and a half years,” said one man who didn’t want his face on camera but said his girlfriend’s home is filled with problems that IEM said they would fix. “Frustration is probably not an adequate word but can't come up with one you can put on TV right now,” he said.
IEM released a statement: "IEM’s program management team has been closely collaborating with FloridaCommerce to ensure a smooth transition as our contract ends on July 25, 2024. We are proud to have served the people and families of Florida, and to have fulfilled our contractual obligations."
For those on the call, they worry who will take over to see the homes get to the finish line.
“They don’t understand the blood sweat and tears all of us have been put in,” Aguiar said.
10 Investigates reached out to the state of Florida regarding IEM's contract ending but they have not gotten back to us on what this means for recipients.
They did confirm in an email about the new deadline, saying, “250 homes are currently in the construction or pre-construction phase of the program. All of these homes are expected to be completed by the end of the calendar year.
"The Department sent a letter to the State Attorney’s Office to inquire about concerns the Office of Long-Term Resiliency had regarding factual inaccuracies and potential misrepresentations made by a contractor. Because of our efforts, the contractor acknowledged and resolved the issue.”