CHARLESTON, W.Va. –
West Virginia National Guard's Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. James Hoyer, issues the following update on RISE West Virginia's case management status:
This week, one reconstruction project in Kanawha County passed final inspection by the West Virginia National Guard’s quality assurance/quality control team, bringing the total number of completed projects to 51.
At this time, 292 cases have been assigned for construction, plus 16 mobile home replacement cases are awaiting bid selection. 36 additional mobile home replacement cases were out for bid as of last week, leaving a total of 88 awaiting assignment to construction management.
Crews continue to make progress on 24 other homes that are in active construction for the RISE West Virginia program, and the additional 10 homes that are in the demolition phase. Of the 24 homes in construction, 16 are mobile home replacements and eight are reconstruction projects.
The eight reconstruction projects are at various stages in the construction process including debris removal, footers being poured and block foundation laid, drainage installation, framing and tresses being installed, and interior work on electrical, mechanical and windows on numerous cases. Six other projects have had building permits approved and are awaiting homeowners to move out in the coming weeks before demolition and construction can begin.
The 16 mobile home replacement projects are also at various stages in the construction process with numerous homes that had or need footers installed, block laid and water/septic systems installed. Seven other projects have had building permits approved and are awaiting homeowners to move out in the coming weeks before construction can begin.
There are 52 other reconstruction and mobile home unit replacement projects at varying points in the initial construction phase, including permitting, inspections and asbestos abatement. There are 12 other projects awaiting signed homeowner agreements to move forward in the construction process.
The number of outstanding Housing Program cases is 432. The current breakdown by construction type is as follows: 51 homes are complete, 266 cases require total reconstruction, 52 cases require some form of rehabilitation actions, 104 cases require new mobile home replacement, and 10 cases are awaiting initial project type and undergoing the damage assessment process.
Crews continued work on a bridge in Kanawha County this week. Four bridges are currently complete and there are 69 others in the case management process.
Currently, 14 projects are in the asbestos inspection and abatement phase for the Slum and Blight Program and demolition expected to being June 25. There are an additional 170 projects currently in the Slum and Blight program, 169 of which are ready for the environmental review process. An additional 38 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).