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Rahall Announces $36K for Southern Appalachian Labor School

07/02/08

U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV) announced today that the Southern Appalachian Labor School has been awarded a $36,676.23 Housing Preservation grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Program to rehabilitate and weatherize low income and rural housing in southern West Virginia.

"All Americans deserve the opportunity to find a safe and stable place to call home and raise their families," said Rahall. "These grants will help some of West Virginia's hardest working families make needed repairs and upgrades to their homes."

This funding will support SALS’ ongoing efforts to repair and rehabilitate low-income housing owned and occupied by rural mine workers living in former coal camps throughout southern West Virginia. SALS’ housing repair and rehabilitation programs offer high school dropouts the unique opportunity to prepare for the GED and obtain certifiable construction competencies to be used later in life.   

SALS is currently working on a "coalfield housing initiative" to rehabilitate typical turn-of-the-20th-century coal-camp dwellings that often have poor plumbing, no insulation, and no foundations. In addition to the USDA's funds, SALS is providing $10,800 and the HUD’s Youth Build program is providing $94,057 in matching funds for a total project cost of $141,533.33.

"Home ownership and housing maintenance are increasingly difficult for low-income Americans living in rural areas to afford," said Rahall. "I am pleased these funds will help many West Virginians have better, safer places to live."