Team of counselors at the disaster area
Disaster Area Rapid Response Team
Whether it’s a tornado in the Midwest or hurricane on the coast, reKNOvate 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 individual home repair/rebuild, to help keep them from becoming victims twice, once from the disaster and then by unscrupulous contractors who prey on homeowners in this at-risk market.
Whether victims are receiving insurance settlements or government relief aid, reKNOvate can assist them in navigating their repair/rebuild, regardless of where they are in the process.
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.
reKNOvate will deploy a team (Rapid Response Team) to the site of a natural disaster (hurricane, flood, tornado, etc.). Through its Rapid Response Team, reKNOvate 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. reKNOvate 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.
- 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
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