A citizens’ watchdog group is giving the Road Home Program failing grades.

The group said the Road Home is getting bad marks for the way it handles applicants, the appeals process and more.

Terry Farmer, who lives in Lakeview says Louisiana's Road Home Program has not helped his family of five. They occupy the top and bottom dwellings of the home and rent out the two other units. Damaged after the storm, the Farmers were denied twice through the program's small rental division.

"The third time we qualified, we went through to Baton Rouge then they turned around and said you don't qualify because we don’t believe you live up and downstairs," said Farmer. 

Three years and three appeals later, the Farmers have spent their savings repairing the upstairs unit, while the rest of their home remains gutted. Terry wonders if or when the Road Home Program will ever come through.

"Speed it up and make it right," said Farmer.

Those sentiments are echoed by the Citizens Road Home Action Team, a watchdog group that has issued its second report card on the program, evaluating everything from the program's outreach ability, communication with applicants, and the appeals process.

They say the failing grades, that have gotten worse since 2006, are based on first-hand encounters from residents who filled out surveys and sent emails to the group looking for answers and for help.

"This program is nontransparent, rushing to finish and is leaving south Louisiana less safe," said Melanie Ehrlich, CHAT Co-Chair.

Ehrlich's group says the rules keep changing, the information is unclear and the appeals process penalizes residents who are stuck in a no-win situation.

"They are holding appeals now and there’s no clear guideline for how appeals should be decided and what the criteria are," she said.

Farmer says he will keep waiting because there is nothing else he can do.

"Hopefully Road Home will come through," he said.

Christina Stephens, a spokeswoman for the Louisiana Recovery Authority, responded to the Citizens Road Home Report Card, by saying in part that the "staff is working each day to improve the Road Home Program."

"We know that for those still waiting, this process is excruciating, which is why our commitment to the program and its homeowners has not wavered."