(Wayne Covil, WTVR, pool)
Senator Warner Writes House Companies
Wants Plan Of Action On Military Housing
Richmond, Va. (Newsradiowrva.com) - Senator Mark Warner (D), following up on tours and meetings last month, has sent a letter to the four companies managing housing on Virginia's military bases. The Democrat is demanding a plan of action, after soldiers and sailors told him of homes with a number of issues, including mold.
Specifically, Sen. Warner requested that any plan of action address the following issues reported at private military housing by servicemembers and their families:
· Lack of adequate credentials/expertise by maintenance providers hired by private military companies. These providers are frequently not qualified and/or certified to fix health hazards and other problems, which can result in superficial fixes or outright failures to fix these hazards.
· Excessive fees charged to military families in order to remediate hazards. Families facing these fees allege that they have little to no recourse to challenge the charges, even when they are not at fault. Moreover, some families believe that they have no ability to demand compensation from the companies when their furnishings are ruined due to leaks or mold; or when inadequate and unsafe housing forces them to relocate or stay at hotels.
· Air quality issues, including the presence of mold and mold spores. As a result of hazards, many families have reported allergic and/or respiratory reactions to these hazards; some families even described experiencing lead and carbon monoxide poisonings.
· Inadequate communication and transparency between servicemembers and the private companies about health hazards in homes, including lead and mold, the status of work orders, and the resolution of hazards.
During Warner's visit to Fort Lee in April, one woman said the air quality in her home, because of mold, makes her feel as if she is slowly dying. Another soldier suggested the quality of her home could potentially have caused a recent miscarriage.