Calhoun Homes, Inc. is located at 125
Calhoun Homes Dr, Mount Zion, W.Va.
By Bob Weaver
UPDATE 10-30-2018 - Meth is causing a big problem at a HUD subsidized housing project at Mt. Zion - Calhoun Homes.
Calhoun Homes manager Michelle Smith issued letters Monday to at least nine residents of the housing development
that their belongings would be removed from their apartments this week and reportedly placed in a storage unit provided by Calhoun Homes.
Calhoun Homes has reportedly changed the dislocation of two of the eight residents, allegedly linked to further testing.
The dislocated residents have reportedly been told they must have their apartments vacated by Friday, a five day notice.
Smith told the Herald that Calhoun Homes would bear the costs of storage.
Several residents, nearly all who have children, are scrambling to find a place to stay with the short notice.
In the displacement letter, the occupants were given a score based on the amount of meth in the apartments walls.
Smith told the Herald that the remediation would take about one-and-one-half weeks.
It was unclear what has to be done structurally to clean the meth problem, with some residents saying it has likely accumulated over years.
One resident, Brittany Prim, who has lived in Calhoun Homes since 2014, said that any problem in her apartment was before then. "I'm really worried about my kids," she said, and "I know there was no meth business in my family apartment."
The Hur Herald reached out to WVDHHR Childrens Services regarding any complaints from Calhoun Homes management or from residents, and was advised to issue a Freedom of Information Act request to Charleston officials.
Also checking with the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department regarding any reports, or what jurisdiction they might have with the matter, they have yet to respond.
Manager Smith declined to name the current board members, the Herald was told Monday that the five member board has only three active members, some expressing concern about how Calhoun Homes can pay the remediation costs.
The official letter from Smith issued Monday (Oct. 29) said:
"We are getting storage units in today or tomorrow. One home (apartment) will move their belongings at a time. We will put plastic at the end of each of your belongings and will put your apartment # on the plastic. Once your belongings are in the storage unit, no one can enter until moving back day."
NINE CALHOUN HOMES FAMILIES DISPLACED OVER METH PROBLEMS IN WALLS - Residents Facing Short Notice
By Bob Weaver
10-28-2018 - Several occupants of Calhoun Homes, a 24-unit low-income rental facility at Mt. Zion, are being displaced because of various levels of meth detected in nine apartments, the spaces were recently evaluated by ACCUMETH, a private testing company.
So far (Oct. 26) none of the residents have been given written notice regarding their displacement which Michelle Smith, manager of the facility, said is likely to happen about Nov. 2.
The test results were not available.
Calhoun Homes is a 24-unit low-income rental facility
One affected resident is already out of the complex and eight other residents will be advised shortly to move their families and contents of their apartments to another location for storage while the problem is remediated, said Smith.
Megan Hartz said the contents of her apartment were removed and destroyed about two weeks ago, after which Calhoun Homes secured a room in Grantsville for she and her two infant children. Calhoun Homes is reportedly paying for the room.
Hartz said during an Orkin bedbug inspection in September, "They discovered needles and pipes in the adjoining apartment...and I knew I had to get my children out of there."
Orkin told the Hur Herald they found no needles or pipes, but were likely found by a maintenance man.
Smith said the meth issue came to surface on September 18 when the maintenance man was sickened after working on the interior of an apartment, although she said there was a case of meth making in an apartment about 2012.
Other residents said the drug problem has long been endemic to the facility.
"I'm devastated by this problem," said manager Smith, expressing concern that some renters have no respect for property, further expressing concern for Calhoun Homes having the funds for a clean-up.
She indicated Calhoun Homes is looking into paying the storage fees for the displaced residents, but is likely they will have to find a family member or friends with whom to reside for about one and one-half weeks while the problems are being remediated.
HUD funded Calhoun Homes is a local, not for profit company that is owned and operated by a five member board of directors.
Smith declined to give the names of the local board, who she said is fully aware of the problems.
Calhoun Homes resident Bill Greathouse said, "The current occupants of the apartments are not responsible for the meth problem."
Some of the displaced residents told the Herald they feared their relocation could go on for months.
"I've been very worried about my two children (ages 6-8), and so far I've been verbally told that I have to move, and I don't know the percentage of contamination of my apartment," said Jackie Stockman.
Brittany Prim, who has lived in Calhoun Homes since 2014, said that any problem in her apartment was before then. "I'm really worried about by kids," she said.
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