Habitat For Humanity Remediates Homes With Toxic Chinese Drywall
Vanessa Bolano WGNO News

February 21, 2011
HOLLYGROVE—
The New Orleans area Habitat for Humanity is rebuilding several homes after they were found to have toxic Chinese drywall. WGNO News Reporter Vanessa Bolano has the latest from Hollygrove.

Months after construction slowed down on Ferry Place in Hollygrove crews are back at work. This time gutting several Habitat for Humanity homes after they tested positive for toxic Chinese drywall.

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Vontrell Silas says, "I've been gone for four months and I just returned back."

Silas has been back at her home for two weeks. She found out her home was slowly corroding in the fall.

Vontrell says," First I thought it was crazy because at the time I was pregnant."

Habitat found her a new place as they remediated her house a process they're doing time and time again.

Aleis Tusa with the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity say, "Many of our homes still are testing negative and some are testing positive, and those are the ones that we've entered into an agreement to remediate."

They say most of the problems stemmed from drywall purchased in 2007. 200 homes in Jefferson, St. Bernard, and Orleans may be affected and so far 58 have been remediated. It's a four to six week process that rips apart the entire house, appliances, wiring, insulation, and all leaving only the bathtub.

Habitat says it costs about $50,000 to remediate just one house but they say it's a price they are willing to front.

Tusa says, "As of this point we haven't been reimbursed for our cost from any of the manufacturers."

They're using fundraising money to cover the costs, but say they will go after the manufacturers. As for Vontrell she's glad her family is back home.

"It's kind of like a blessing in disguise because the whole house was able to be redone even though I hadn't been here that long."