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After More Than 6 Years, The City of New Orleans' National Disaster Resilience Project Activities Had Made Little Impact on Resilience, New Orleans, LA

We recommend that HUD require the City to develop and implement a methodology for NORA to conduct periodic evaluations at appropriate points during the construction process to assess the quality of the work on all new properties and correct any issues identified.

After More Than 6 Years, The City of New Orleans' National Disaster Resilience Project Activities Had Made Little Impact on Resilience, New Orleans, LA

We recommend that HUD require the City to provide monitoring reports and supporting documentation to show that it conducted periodic monitoring of NORA’ s performance and compliance with program rules and regulations and ensured that NORA promptly remedies any findings or concerns. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring that NORA (1) provides adequate oversight of the contractors providing service under the program and (2) maintains documentation to support eligibility for program participants.

After More Than 6 Years, The City of New Orleans' National Disaster Resilience Project Activities Had Made Little Impact on Resilience, New Orleans, LA

We recommend that HUD require the City to develop a plan for how the City will continue to fulfill the required monitoring and oversight responsibilities of the National Disaster Resilience programs and projects if it runs out of planning and administration funds before it completes these programs and projects.

After More Than 6 Years, The City of New Orleans' National Disaster Resilience Project Activities Had Made Little Impact on Resilience, New Orleans, LA

We recommend that HUD require the City to review misallocated planning and administration funds and reallocate any mistakenly allocated funds to the correct National Disaster Resilience project or grant activity. This measure could make available additional funds for program oversight.

After More Than 6 Years, The City of New Orleans' National Disaster Resilience Project Activities Had Made Little Impact on Resilience, New Orleans, LA

We recommend that HUD require the City to analyze the method used to charge planning and administration costs to ensure that all costs are applied to the correct costs category and are valid charges to the National Disaster Resilience grant.

After More Than 6 Years, The City of New Orleans' National Disaster Resilience Project Activities Had Made Little Impact on Resilience, New Orleans, LA

We recommend that HUD require the City to develop and submit to HUD for approval an updated planning and administration budget and staffing plan, after reassessing the infrastructure projects in recommendation 1A, to complete the National Disaster Resilience projects with the funds and within the timeframe remaining.

After More Than 6 Years, The City of New Orleans' National Disaster Resilience Project Activities Had Made Little Impact on Resilience, New Orleans, LA

We recommend that HUD require the City to revise its risk assessment plan and process to ensure that monitoring is regularly conducted for its infrastructure projects through project completion, including establishing a monitoring schedule to ensure the progression and completion of the infrastructure projects.

After More Than 6 Years, The City of New Orleans' National Disaster Resilience Project Activities Had Made Little Impact on Resilience, New Orleans, LA

We recommend that HUD require the City to review the number and type of positions for its National Disaster Resilience staff that are responsible for the oversight and completion of infrastructure projects and ensure that it has the appropriate staffing levels to complete adequate monitoring and oversight of the projects.

After More Than 6 Years, The City of New Orleans' National Disaster Resilience Project Activities Had Made Little Impact on Resilience, New Orleans, LA

We recommend that HUD require the City to for the $14,683,335 originally budgeted for the Milneburg and Microgrid projects, work with HUD to (1) determine whether its planned action plan amendment would constitute the need to submit a substantial action plan amendment, (2) ensure that any modifications in its action plan amendment would lessen the susceptibility of rain and flood events within the Gentilly area, and (3) require that any activities pursued under the action plan amendment could reasonably be expected to be completed by the September 30, 2029, deadline.

After More Than 6 Years, The City of New Orleans' National Disaster Resilience Project Activities Had Made Little Impact on Resilience, New Orleans, LA

We recommend that HUD require the City to reassess the eight infrastructure projects still in the design or planning phase to determine whether the City can complete the projects or how the remaining funds could be best used within the 6 years remaining for the grant period to ensure that the City is protected from future storm and rain events.