What's with the mystery? The excuses? The delays? The confusion? The backtracking and the resignations? What on earth is going on? This would be a conspiracy theorist's dream if one could find a conspiracy theorist interested in something so outwardly mundane....
My latest installment is a tiny matter. I think it's particularly disturbing because it's a tiny matter.
It all started back on April 17th when we applied for the grant in the first place. We were given a username and password and told that we would be able to login to our account and check the status of our application at any time. But we were never given the address for a log-in page - we were told that a link to the application status page would eventually be added to the official website: mshomehelp.gov.
That link never appeared. Instead an update was made to the Home Grant main page that read as follows:
The Online Application is no longer available for the Homeonwner's Assistance Grant Program. All application status updates will be sent via U.S. mail. Your application status will not be updated through the e-Grants site.
This is how it still appears on the website as of today.
Fast-forward today. Dave contacted MDA today to check the status of our application via telephone. The woman on the other end told him that the check would be mailed 10 to 14 days after our closing appointment and if we hadn't received our check by next week to call back then. The response confused Dave enough to cause him to just say "Bye" and hang up.
When he got his bearings again and reassured himself that six weeks is well beyond 10 to 14 days.... and reminded himself that he called MDA two weeks ago and was told exactly the same thing.... He called back and explained the previous two calls. This time the call was taken by a different rep. "Do you not have your username and password?" she asked.
I suppose he was almost stumped enough to say "Bye" and hang up again... but he didn't. The rep explained that if he could find his username and password she could check the status of his application.
What ensued was a search for whatever they meant by 'username and password'. The only logical choice were those given to us at the application center to access our account on the internet... You know.. the one we were told would not be used?
Eventually Dave found the original email containing the info. It also included a link to the application status login. At about the same time - I was looking at the MDA website and for the first time the words 'the e-Grants site' caught my eye. I started doing web searches until I foundmyself at an eGrantsPlus website. About that time - I got a copy of the email from Dave with the username and password and logged in.
Not a whole lot of useful information there -- but here is what it says:
| 2006 Homeowner Assistance Opportunity - Program I (Apr - Jun 2006) | Disbursal Amount Approved | 04/17/2006 |
The rep at MDA explained that "Disbursal Amount Approved" was the last status step that they had - the only thing left was for us to physically receive the check.
Okay - that doesn't really tell us where the check is...
But what it does do is raise the simple question: If we could have all been checking the status of our grant applications all along online -- then why on earth does the Home Grant website tell us that we cannot? Why wasn't this info released? Printed in the newspaper? Anything?
The least I can do is provide the info here for interested blog readers. If you are a homeowner waiting for news about your homeowner's assistance grant from the MDA - and you can find the username and password you were given during your original application appointment... You can check the status of your application (as well as view your original electronic application) by taking this link and logging in:
https://www.mshomehelpap.com/msprod/signIn.do
Good luck.
Louisiana residents can check the status of their grant applications with this link:
https://grants.road2la.org/laprod/signIn.do
2 comments:
For the record, MDA did update the website a couple of months ago and now includes a blurb letting folks know they can check the status of their applications online. Woo!
I applied for this grant in Feb. The web-site for users (useless)!
The 8663696302 assistant line, what a complete joke! They all (and I called many times) had different things to say and even back tracked themselves on information (Useless) Then you finally recieve your call, you better think of all you need to say because if you try to call back with any important info you might have forgotten to ask, you can't! (Anonymous Caller, Out of the area)! Grant Logo, "Don't call us, we'll call you!" And that may take up to several more painful weeks, months! I think all of Mississippians/Lousianians should get compensation for "Pain and suffering" on top of Katrina!
God Bless Everyone still waiting to rebuild their lives! I am in your boat!
Mississipian
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