Build It Back Nightmare (Letter to Editor)

Dear Editor: (To whoever might be able to stop the insanity?)

Today April 21, I, my wife and daughter went to our second Options meeting. I was called on 4/9/14 by Elly from Build It Back and asked to schedule an options meeting, I scheduled the meeting for the following day and was assured all my paperwork was in order.

WRONG.

When I arrived in the waiting room; my phone rang it was Anjinette Hudson my case worker. "Mr. Phillips, there has been a mistake, your paperwork is incomplete." I informed her I was in the waiting room. She came and got us sat us down and explained to us that there was no inspection report, no F-13, both necessary. Thankfully I had a voice mail from Assemblyman Goldfeder's office stating "that I had been misinformed by a BIB representative about my paper work being incomplete and good luck at your OPTIONS meeting." I played the voicemail for Ms. Hudson.

In the building were people from the mayor’s office. Ms. Hudson went to get one of them for me to talk to. Out came Emily Ashton (head of case management) she wanted to know WHAT I WANTED, my answer: ANSWERS.

She could not find the paperwork either so I played her the voicemail, and immediately she began to email the inspection contractor. In the meantime I called Jon Greenville from Goldfeder’s office to let him know what was going on. Ms. Ashton left came back, and my paperwork appeared. I was assured that she would straighten everything out. I was given paper work to submit along with receipts and scheduled an options meeting for Monday, April 21.

Last week I submitted my receipts and paperwork. Today I left work early to go to my Options meeting. Ms. Hudson found that my paperwork was not reviewed and so once again no Options meeting. After waiting for an hour I was given a list of my expenses that were in need of more supporting documentation. So now I have to resubmit more paperwork, have it reviewed, and then go through the process again.

Ms. Hudson has gone above and beyond for me, taking time from her family to speak and email me, after work hours from her own computer and phone. She is the one that supposedly misinformed me; she has been a professional and has always been honest. If you ask her my BIB number she knows it by heart she has been GREAT.

The Head of Case Management Ashely Easton of all people should have known that this problem would not be resolved so easily. As I have asked before, where is the accountability? I DO NOT HAVE A HOME. I and my wife with a 4-year old in tow have moved five times in the last year and a half. All along paying a mortgage and taxes.

Can someone help stop this from happening?

EDWARD PHILLIPS