Pierce County Community Development Corporation

MISSION STATEMENT
The CDC implements and manages housing repair and business loan programs to provide residents of Pierce County access to safe, decent, and affordable housing and stimulant economic development through job creation.

This is the Mission Statement the same Federally Funded program that: completely destroyed my home, left me to live in danger, and put a lien on my home for thousands of dollars they gave to the contractor they recommended without any inspections or making sure he got permits. You can go to http://www.guidestar.org/profile/91-1339483 to see for yourself.

PLEASE READ WHAT THEY DID TO ME:

My name is Susan Duhamel and on January 19th, 2016, I attended the open board meeting for the CDC for the 2nd time, you can read the minutes for January 19, 2016 by going to the Pierce County Community Development Corporation web site. I have had made ongoing complaints since 2008 of the damage this program caused to my home due to their negligence. At a time when I was grieving the loss of my father I needed a leak fixed in my bathroom. But after the Community Development Corporation of Pierce County saw the last appraisal done on my home they talked me into a full rehabilitation. They recommended a contractor to do the work saying he was trustworthy and had done a lot of rehabilitations for them in the past and his bid was lower than the other bids they got. I am a single senior citizen and work every day. I trusted this Federally Funded program when they told me not to worry because they had to inspect the contractors work throughout the rehabilitation. I found out later, that shortly after the work had been done, this contractor never obtained any permits, was not licensed to complete work he did in my home and the CDC chose not to inspect any of the work before releasing funds to him. The CDC then put a lien on my property for the thousands of dollars they gave this contractor. This contractor commissioned a roof being put on my 1978 mobile home that was too heavy and will collapse it is just a matter of time. I have 52 documents showing what happened and reports from a Structural Engineer, roofing company, and the Statewide Inspector. The CDC and their Board have not taken responsibility for what happened to my home. They are again not only making me pay back the money they gave this contractor, but also making me replace my own home. If I am not able to do that they will take my property. I have emails showing when I tried to get help, Bryan Schmid, housing supervisor, and the CDC’s attorneys continually told these people they were in litigation with me when in fact they knew a Judge dismissed the case against them months before.

The CDC board continually kept saying, at the meeting on January 19th, that I picked the contractor which was false. Bryan Schmid picked the contractor that did the work on my home. They also said everything was dismissed against them. I am low income and could not afford the lawyers needed to fight their high-end attorneys and the case was dismissed. I did take a settlement of $5,000.00 with the contractor, because he was diagnosed with a progressive disease and had claimed bankruptcy, which does not even begin to cover the damages this program and their contractor caused to my home not to mention what they have put me and my family through.

The CDC paid the contractor for materials that were in their own spec's and never put on my home. This Federally Funded program has left me deep in debt and a roof that will collapse.

I was asked to leave the meeting after reading a letter from Gary Aden, at the time was the CDC’s manager, stating the CDC had to inspect the contractors work before releasing funds. The chair said if I wanted to come to another meeting I needed to make an appointment. This meeting is considered an open public meeting and is subject to Open Public Meeting Act RCW 42.30 that states “Requires meetings to be open to the public, gavel to gavel, Passed in 1971.

Director Winship further stated that the CDC Board has a fiduciary duty for these public funds and that forgiving the loan would set a precedent the CDC does not want. May I just say that the CDC has already set the precedent by not being a good custodian of public funds and by not inspecting or making sure the contractor got permits for the work before releasing the funds allowing a contractor they recommended to ruin a my home. It is my opinion that if this is a Federally Funded program that does not provide oversight whatsoever for their projects, what protection is there for the low income and vulnerable people of unincorporated Pierce County? Someone needs to look into this Federally Funded Program. The only reason I gave it one star, was because it wouldn't let me give them zero.