City Comptroller Mark Schroeder says "the gloves are now off" in a dispute with the Brown administration over delays in the disbursement of federal housing rehab loans. In a city where the housing stock is aging, Emergency Rehab Loans from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development are key to helping low-to-moderate income residents improve their homes.
Schroeder says he has heard from many residents who have applied, asking when their money will arrive. Schroeder says Mayor Byron Brown's Office of Strategic Planning is providing misleading information.
"When the Office of Strategic Planning says in a meeting that it only takes 90 days from the application to project completion, that is a bold-faced lie," Schroeder said.
Schroeder says his analysis shows the average amount of time is 712 days -- or about two years.
Schroeder is recommending that the city turn over the Emergency Rehab Loan program to Belmont Housing Resources, a private agency that assists low income individuals to obtain affordable housing.
