Chinese drywall: Florida hasn’t committed to using federal money for repairs [South Florida]

Chinese drywall: Florida hasn’t committed to using federal money for repairs [South Florida]

The Louisiana Legislature passed a law that allows the state to use $5 million in federal grants to repair homes with tainted Chinese drywall. So far, Florida lawmakers have failed to follow suit.

“If Louisiana can do it, why can’t we?” asked Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat, at a state drywall symposium in Tampa this month.

In October, Nelson wrote to the Florida Legislature, asking it to determine if the state has unspent disaster block grant money that affected residents could use for home repairs. Nelson said he’s still waiting for a response.

Also in October, Shaun Donovan, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, toured homes west of Boynton Beach that were built with Chinese drywall. Donovan mentioned then the use of block grants as a possible solution for homeowners.