LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Rebuilding Together Greater Florida tells Tampa Bay 28 reporter Michael Paluska that mistakes were made after a demolition crew working to repair a Lee County home ended up creating more problems for the family.
The recovery project coated the home in construction dust.
“Are you worried,” Paluska asked.
“I am (expletive) extremely worried. Excuse my French. Yeah, because number one, I'm worried about my family,” Robert Hayer said. “I’ve been sick since day one. I've been sick.”
Hayer suffers from severe COPD and requires oxygen around the clock. His oxygen machine displayed a low air quality warning inside the home.
Carla Dickey and Hayer tell Paluska the problems began when a construction crew hired by Rebuilding Together Greater Florida under the umbrella of Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay, started demolishing the Hurricane Ian-damaged floors in their Lehigh Acres home. The goal of the non-profit was to finally make the family whole. But, dust spread throughout the house — into the kitchen, the bathroom, and the master bedroom.
The dust was so severe in the master bedroom that Hayer tells Tampa Bay 28's Paluska he slept on the couch with a fan inches from his head.
Dickey says she reported her concerns about air quality to Rebuilding Together Greater Florida but it took weeks for them to take action.
“We’ve been screaming since March 22 to report it and stop work. And nobody did it, nobody. And they kept working. They kept working. And they continued to work and did not stop work until April 6.”
It took more than three weeks before the family was evacuated to temporary housing. Rebuilding Together Greater Florida eventually brought in a hazmat team in full protective gear to clean the home.
The nonprofit told Paluska mistakes were made in the project.
“As we discussed over the phone last Friday, Rebuilding Together Greater Florida has already begun addressing the mistake made during the repairs at Carla Dickey’s home. We have temporarily relocated Carla and her husband while we complete a detailed cleaning of the house and continue working to fulfill the full scope of repairs originally agreed upon,” Jose Garcia, CEO of Rebuilding Together Greater Florida told Paluska. “We are committed to ensuring that Carla and her husband return to a safer and healthier home in the very near future. As with every homeowner we serve, we want the opportunity to complete the job properly and to the standard they deserve. For this reason, I would like to respectfully decline the camera interview today. I believe it is best to wait until the work is fully completed and we feel confident in the final outcome.”
Paluska confirmed one employee was reprimanded and another was fired over the incident.
To understand how the family ended up in this situation, the story goes back to 2022 when Hurricane Ian damaged their roof and flooded their home.
Paluska first met Dickey after her public adjuster came under investigation for allegedly her insurance payouts.
In March, Francisco Chaparro was arrested on multiple felonies. Arrest records show Chaparro stole more than $611,000 from Ian survivors, including Dickey.
See Paluska’s previous reporting on Chaparro and the update on his recent arrest.
"I hope he goes to prison, because I know I'm never going to see my money. I hope he goes to prison. He deserves to never come out," Dickey said.
With her insurance money gone, Dickey turned to Rebuilding Together Greater Florida for help.
She says she was initially excited to be approved for help but when the work began — that excitement faded quickly. Then came the dust.
Dickey began documenting the demolition herself, capturing video of dust-covered surfaces throughout the home and voicing concerns about Hayer's exposure to concrete dust.
The family has lingering questions for the non-profit and concerns about how this happened.
"They told me they were supposed to be vetted, that they were supposed to be county approved contractors. This is your county approved contractor?"
The work continues at Dickey and Hayer’s home.
As the family continues their recovery from Hurricane Ian, and making their home safe, they created a GoFundMe if anyone wants to help.
The nonprofit invited Paluska to tour the home once their work is complete.
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