Shelter-at-home

This is the alternative temporary housing plan developed after Sandy.  Basically, they get you set up with necessities if it doesn't cost too much to do that quickly.

If a home can be back in a livable state with up to $15,000 in repairs, then the state will OK the work and a crew will be sent out to do the work.

The program only covers minor repair work: basic electrical and plumbing inspections; carpet and insulation removal; air conditioning and hot water heater repairs; and installing temporary bathroom fixtures, are among the types of tasks they will consider.

The program will also pay for mini-refrigerators or microwaves to be installed to serve as makeshift kitchen appliances.

Riley said that the state will hire a project manager over the weekend. An estimated four-to-seven general contractors will then be hired, and they are expected to then hire sub-contractors to help with the work.

Will be interesting to see which contractors they hire. Just remember they'll get what they pay for. 

But the program didn't come without complaints.

Stories soon popped up in the New York Post, New York Daily News and the Staten Island Advance with reports of "shoddy" repairs through the program.

All of them featured people complaining that government-funded repairs had left their homes with potentially dangerous conditions and in desperate need of additional fixes.