Members of the Homebuilders Association of Greater New Orleans and the state organization have one goal when it comes to tainted Chinese drywall – “to get people back in their homes.”

Jon Luther, executive vice president of the Homebuilders Association of Greater New Orleans said his group has came up with a solution that involves using left over Road Home money to issue grants to pay for necessary remediation.

The Louisiana Recovery Authority, who oversees the Road Home program, said Homebuilders Association has approached it, but it has been approached by numerous organizations. Christina Stephens, spokesperson for the LRA, said the state organization has already carved out $5 million worth of Community Development Block Grants to help Road Home fund recipients affected by the tainted drywall make necessary remediation. She said this was required by the legislature long before the Homebuilders Association members approached the LRA with the idea. However, she said there is currently no one method of remediation approved by the federal government and until there is this money cannot be dispersed for that use.

“We can’t help anyone until we have federally-approved protocols,” she said, doing so with any proven and approved method of remediation could open the state up to a dangerous liability.

Randy Noel with the Louisiana Homebuilders Association said he thinks the money needed to remediate all of the homes affected will be far less than that $5 million.

The state Homebuilders Association believes the estimates of home effected being released by lawyers and other involved in possible litigation are drastically inflated, but said even with that more than $5 million would be needed.

According to his figures, a maximum of 3,800 homes nationwide could be affected. This figure is based on the amount of drywall shipped in from China and the fact that only one of the four mines shipping in drywall has been found to be tainted. Noel said he estimates that $100 million will be needed to remediate all of the homes affected.

However, he said, Road Home has the money, and he does not want affected homeowners to have to wait.

Stephens said the Road Home program does not have “left over money” as the Homeowners Association claims, but it does plan to have an estimated $200 million on unspent allocated funds. However, she said the LRA couldn’t just disperse that money at will.

The board is meeting on Thursday to determine how it will disperse the money, and Stephens stressed none of it can be used for tainted drywall remediation until a federally approved protocol is adopted.

The Homebuilders Association wants the LRA to use the same application process it used originally for the Road Home program to award the money for affected homeowners.

Noel said there are methods that are currently being used that are working, and he would like to see people using those methods and getting back into their homes now.

He suggests allowing the two processes running concurrently, allowing for the LRA to set up the application process at the same time as the experts try to developed an approved method of remediation.

Meanwhile, Luther is offering some tips that people can do now to determine if their home is affected and to stay in their homes while they are waiting on help.

Noel said the best way to know if your home has tainted drywall is to check your air conditioner coils.

He said one does not have to hire an expert to do this.

“Don’t overreact and spend money on experts early on,” he said, suggesting people open their air conditioning condenser and if there is black soot on its copper coils, then their home is affected.

“Not everyone that has Chinese drywall has affected drywall.”

If your home is affected, Luther said there are steps you can take on the temporary basis to stay safe and healthy while remaining in your home.

Turn the thermostat down to keep the home cool and less humid. Run bathroom vents when taking showers and install fresh air returns through a wall or in the attic. Do not open windows when it is humid outside. Clean upholstery and clothes regularly and store unused clothing outside the home.

Clean your air conditioner coils and if you replace the coils, replace them with coated coils.

Use the best air return filter as possible and clean all soot of brass and copper as it builds up. Check outlets and switches for soot every six months and check all smoke alarms every week.