Senators press housing nominee on Tu Hogar Renace complaints, contractor oversight and audits

Senators on the Commission on Nominations pressed William Rodríguez Rodríguez about accountability for the predecessor program Tu Hogar Renace and questioned why several firms with prior complaints received large R3 contracts.

A commission member cited the Office of the Comptroller's figures and said thousands of construction-related complaints followed Tu Hogar Renace contracts, including a November 2018 spike in reported construction defects. The senator asked whether the department can certify that previously eligible applications were completed satisfactorily. "La contestación es no," Rodríguez replied, adding that he has ordered a comprehensive audit of the program and that inspector-general/FEMA reviews found a single $150 payroll discrepancy in one limited review. He told senators he will provide the results of the audit to the commission.

Senators also asked why four firms were awarded contracts of about $50 million each for R3 despite prior problems. Rodríguez said the procurement and project types differed (repair vs. formal construction), that the department has ongoing monitoring and audits of these companies, and that contracts will be cancelled if auditors find noncompliance. "Mi compromiso con esta asamblea es que esos contratos se van a cancelar ... Cuando haya un incumplimiento de estas compaf1edas no nos va a temblar la mano," he said.

Why it matters: Oversight of contractors and audits of prior programs are central to whether billions in disaster-recovery funds will deliver durable housing outcomes. Senators asked for documentation and audit findings; the commission asked the nominee to provide records and the legal basis for procurement decisions.