Taylor County commissioners press consultant for faster SHIP/HHRP delivery after paperwork delays

Taylor County commissioners on Feb. 3 pressed their housing consultant over delays in administrating Hurricane Housing Recovery (HHRP) and State Housing Initiatives Partnership (SHIP) funds, as staff reported dozens of applications pending and several homes ready to go out to bid.

County staff told the board there are 43 applications in the pipeline: 15 that are complete, 27 in progress and one deemed ineligible. Staff said a first group of 10 homes will be advertised for construction bids at the board’s April meeting, and a second group of 10 should follow quickly.

The board voiced frustration that applicants’ paperwork has gone missing or been delayed in transit, prolonging repairs for storm-damaged homeowners. One commissioner said the county has paid the consultant about $140,000 against a roughly $3.1 million award and called the pace unacceptable.

Representatives from the consultant on the call — who identified themselves as Accenture and as a longstanding affiliated firm (formerly known in the transcript as GSG) — said they would increase on-site support and process changes to prevent lost files. “We are amenable to any contract structure that the county wishes to move forward with,” said Joseph Sheets, identified on the record as a director with Accenture.

Tara, the project manager the consultant identified on the call, described the beneficiary-selection approach the consultant has been using: applicants are evaluated and income-certified as they become complete. “Applicants are on a first-qualified, first-served basis,” Tara said, adding that changing strictly to the date-of-application sequence could slow awarding because some early filers lack required documentation.

County staff and commissioners directed the consultant to take immediate steps to: increase in-person assistance in Taylor County, reconcile and locate missing applications, provide a clear timeline for the 10 homes going to bid, and return a recommendation on moving the contract from monthly payments toward a more performance-based structure.

Staff indicated the consultant’s contracts currently allow administrative fees up to 10% of awards; according to county remarks on the record, the consultant has been paid about $140,000 on the $3.1 million HHRP allocation to date. Commissioners said future agreements should tie payment to specific deliverables.

Next steps captured during the meeting: staff will place the first group of 10 homes on the board’s April agenda for advertising; the county and consultant will audit the mailed/received application record for the applicants who reported missing files and report back to the board; and staff said they will examine contract changes to link payment to performance.

The discussion was informational; no change to funding awards or legal commitments was made during the meeting.