CHARLESTON, W.Va. –
Last week, crews continued to increase capacity for homes in construction in the RISE West Virginia program. At this time, 25 homes are in active construction, while three homes are in the demolition phase, marking an increase of 13 from our previous week’s report.
The number of outstanding Housing Program cases is 479. The current breakdown by construction type is as follows: 50 homes are complete, 251 cases require total reconstruction, 92 cases require some form of rehabilitation actions, 107 cases require new mobile home replacement, and 29 cases are awaiting initial project type and undergoing the damage assessment process. In an effort to maximize program participation for West Virginia flood victims, the intake process remains open and VOAD continues to research more than 1,300 cases that were previously closed out.
There are 55 other reconstruction and mobile home unit replacement projects at varying points in the initial construction phase, including permitting, inspections and asbestos abatement. There are 22 other projects awaiting signed homeowner agreements to move forward in the construction process. We have received 78 completed environmental reviews, which will allow cases to move forward through the final phases of the case management process and into the construction management phase.
Last week, there were 55 bridges in the case management process with one bridge completed and a second under construction in Nicholas County.
Currently, 10 projects are in the final stages of the environmental review process for the Slum and Blight program, which is expected to being in the coming weeks. There are an additional 164 projects currently in the Slum and Blight program, 151 of which are ready for the environmental review process. An additional 28 projects are in the case management process pipeline for removal that are considered an “imminent threat" from the county or municipality, meaning those properties pose a threat to the health and safety of the public. These projects will move from the “imminent threat” phase to the environmental review process before demolition can begin. The Slum and Blight program is still accepting applications in all counties affected by the 2016 flood.
Any families who feel they still have any unmet needs or who are looking for an update on their case are urged to contact the new VOAD office over the phone at 304-553-0927 or through email at DisasterRecovery@wv.gov. A hotline is also available for anyone needing to report fraud with regard to the RISE West Virginia program at 1-866-WVWATCH (1-866-989-2824).