CHARLESTON, W.Va. –
West Virginia National Guard's Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. James Hoyer, issues the following update on the RISE West Virginia program:
This week, the 31 additional reconstruction and 14 mobile home replacement cases continue to work their way through the procurement process. There are 291 other cases that have been assigned for construction, leaving a total of 87 cases awaiting assignment to construction management.
West Virginia Volunteers Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) has indicated they can take on an additional 20 cases for assignment, and another 37 cases will go out for bid within the next 60 days. The remaining roughly 30 cases will be some of the most difficult cases for the RISE West Virginia program, as complexities within each individual case may prolong the process for reconstruction, rehabilitation or replacement. Such complexities can include landowner issues, infrastructure problems, documentation issues, structural elevation, or other nuances that must be worked out with each individual family, case worker and contractor.
This week, crews continued to make progress on 31 other homes that are in active construction for the RISE West Virginia program, an increase of seven from our previous report, and the additional 11 homes that are in the demolition phase. Of the 31 homes in construction, 21 are mobile home replacements and 10 are reconstruction projects.
Crews completed work on a bridge in Kanawha County on Friday last week, bringing the total to five bridges completed. There are 68 others in the case management process at this time.
The 10 reconstruction projects are at various stages in the construction process including debris removal and footers being poured with many that have interior work near completion for drywall, cabinetry, and trim. Demolition is set to begin on numerous other reconstruction projects in the coming weeks
The 21 mobile home replacement projects are also at various stages in the construction process with numerous homes that have completed asbestos abatement and are ready for or have completed demolition, and numerous others that have had block laid and water/septic systems installed.
There are 64 other reconstruction and mobile home unit replacement projects at varying points in the initial construction phase, including permitting, inspections and asbestos abatement. Also, 12 other projects are awaiting signed homeowner agreements to move forward in the construction process.
The number of outstanding Housing Program cases is 423. The current breakdown by construction type is as follows: 51 homes are complete, 258 cases require total reconstruction, 51 cases require some form of rehabilitation actions, 101 cases require new mobile home replacement, and 13 cases are awaiting initial project type and undergoing the damage assessment process.
Currently, 14 projects are in the asbestos inspection and abatement phase for the Slum and Blight Program. There are an additional 170 projects currently in the Slum and Blight program, 168 of which are ready for the environmental review process. An additional 36 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).