Disaster-Area Rapid
Response Team
Team of counselors at the disaster area
Whether it’s a tornado in the Midwest or hurricane on the coast, NAAHRF quickly deploys a team of counselors to the disaster area, establishes a Resource Center in partnership with other relief organizations, and conducts one-on-one counseling with disaster victims on their home repair/rebuild, thus mitigating the risk of becoming a victim of fraudulent contractors, individuals or other organizations that prey on homeowners in this at-risk market. Whether victims are receiving insurance settlements or government relief aid, NAAHRF will assist them to navigate the process before, during and after a home repair/rebuild project.
Storm/disaster victims are “shell shocked” after a storm and are in a dangerous hurry to get back to normal. This makes them easy and typical targets for unscrupulous contractors who are immediately ready to take advantage of them, making them victims, twice.
NAAHRF will deploy a team (Rapid Response Team) to the site of a natural disaster (hurricane, flood, tornado, etc.). Through its Rapid Response Team, NAAHRF can get to the homeowners early in the rebuild process. The Rapid Response team will setup Response Center to provide one-on-one home repair/rebuild counseling and coaching to the victims of the disaster in order to prevent them from becoming victims twice – once from the disaster and then from dishonest contractors seeking to take advantage of the situation.
Once a dishonest contractor has taken the homeowners money (from insurance settlements, FEMA funds, SBA loans, etc.), it is extremely difficult to recover those funds. NAAHRF can help prevent that from happening by educating homeowners so they become their own quality control managers. Setting up our Resource Center is not only critical, it is urgent.
- Provide one-on-one counseling to disaster victims on their individual rebuild process, to reduce contractor fraud and scams as well as miscommunication with legitimate contractors,
- Increase the frequency and number of “SmartPower” anti-fraud workshop presentations and tutorials in the area,
- Provide financial literacy as it pertains to home repair and rebuilding,
- Provide collateral material to help educate victims to better prepare them for the process of overseeing their rebuild project,
- Engage more homeowners/businesses in discussion of contractor fraud and prevention, post-disaster rebuilding instructions, planning and implementation;
- Collect more and better data regarding fraud per community and neighborhood;
- Train local volunteers to inform and educate neighborhood homeowners on contractor fraud methodologies and anti-fraud techniques
Using on-site and telephone resources, NAAHRF’s Rapid Response Team will assist victims in navigating the home repair process before, during and after the project, providing victims with services such as:
- Learning “typical” contractor scams
- Financial literacy in home improvement
- Determining a rebuild/repair budget
- Selecting, vetting & hiring contractors
- Verifying insurance coverage
- Analyzing contractor estimates
- Maintaining proper documentation
- Navigating the building permit process
- Understanding the inspection process
- Scrutinizing home repair contracts
- Establishing payment schedules
- Conflict resolution guidelines
- Managing change orders
- Understanding lien waivers / releases
- Understanding fraud issues and more