A Merced Superior Court judge denied a request earlier this month to halt the Planada flood recovery program due to resident complaints about subpar repairs – just months after Merced County ended its contract with Habitat for Humanity for repair work. The legal dispute between Merced County residents and several government agencies centers on the $20 million Planada flood recovery program launched by the county to repair homes after the historic 2023 floods ravaged parts of the region. While the county reports that more than 100 damaged properties have been repaired under the program, residents’ complaints and the termination of Habitat’s contract have raised concerns about construction quality and oversight.