Bringing Construction to the Table

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Bringing Construction to the Table

• Jeannie Dale Peercy, Lutheran Disaster Response
• Alan Welch, Disaster Assistance for Northwest
  Indiana
• Giovanni Taylor-Peace, Habitat for Humanity Intl.
• Zach Wolgemuth, Brethren Disaster Ministries

May 21, 2009
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Agenda

• Introduction
• Construction Staff and Volunteers in LTRGs
• From the field DANI and the 2008 winter floods
• Rebuilding Standards
• Conclusion
• Group Discussion

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Introduction

• What this session is all about
• The NVOAD Recovery Committee
• Quick question How many of you have managed
  volunteers doing repairs?

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Staffing your LTRG

• Staffing using the right volunteer can work very
  well and is cost effective.
• Often you can find volunteers that will stay
  several months, but there will come a time when
  they are ready to go home.
• This will leave you with a spot to fill quickly
  and get the volunteer up to speed just as quick.
• Volunteers should fully understand what is
  expected of them.

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Construction Staffing Volunteer or Paid

• Paid staff limits funds for other uses but does
  allow you to have consistent leadership.
• Even having a paid staff person with volunteer
  help will allow that consistency.
• Paid staff is often better if you can hire
  locally but sometimes hard to come by due to the
  high demand for qualified people in a disaster
  effected area.

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Experienced Construction Management

• Rebuilding homes is not a guessing game.
• It is important to have skilled construction
  individuals at the table, not only for the
  process of rebuilding, but for many other issues
  including but not limited to
• Codes - IBC and Local
• Mechanicals - Electrical, Plumbing, HVAC etc.
• Foundation and structural issues
• Safety
• Mitigation
• Engineering

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Experienced Construction Management (cont.)

• Other Issues continued
• Volunteers will not return and/or donate if their
  time was not utilized well.
• Volunteer contractors from another region may not
  be familiar with local code.
• Well-trained construction staff should know and
  follow current safety standards.
• Volunteer/paid construction coordinators
  managers should go through some initial training
  (i.e. learning how to work with volunteers,
  clients and donors).

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Experienced Construction Management (cont.)

• Possible sources for finding experienced
  staff/technical assistance for your LTRG
• Local contractors/builders
• State VOAD members
• National VOAD members
• Mennonite Disaster Services
• Brethren Disaster Ministries
• CRWRC
• Habitat for Humanity
• Lutheran Disaster Response

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Experienced Construction Management (cont.)
Example We need to define the major damage to
Roof Exterior Doors Windows Interior Structural F
oundation Electrical Plumbing HVAC And more..
First we need to remove the tree.
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Experienced construction management can help
drive towards organized GIK, tools, and equipment
(which makes for more effective staff and
volunteers.)
Experienced Construction Management (cont.)
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Relationships with Local Code/Permit Officials

• It is recommended (and in most states required)
  to follow the IBC (International Building Code)
  as a minimum standard for rebuilding.
• It is also recommended and in many locations
  required to follow the local building code as
  some areas may choose to go above the IBC
  standard.
• Just because an area has no code enforcement it
  does not mean the area has no code.

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Gift in Kind Code Issues
Some donations can be given with no awareness of
local code.
Example Code requires 30yr shingles and 30lb
felt. What was donated was 15yr shingles and 15lb
felt.
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From the field A look at an LTRG
Disaster Assistance for Northwest Indiana
Restoring Pre-Flood Wholeness
Benton, Carroll, Cass, Fulton, Jasper, Pulaski,
Tippecanoe, White
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About DANI

• A coalition of more than 30 faith-based and
  community-based non-profit organizations
• Restore the equity people had developed prior to
  the flood
• Three coordinated fronts Case Management
  Construction Finance

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Statistics

• 100-500 Year Flood Unprecedented!
• Damage widespread, but concentrated in 2 main
  areas Tippecanoe River Carpenter Creek
• 1380 Applications for FEMA Assistance
• Without Tippecanoe Co. 1/150 households with
  damage.
• FEMA Paid 4 million SBA Loans of 5 million

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Its Local

• 155 Clients Families
• Original estimate
• 3 million in unmet need
• 34,000/family about ½ of loss
• Average age of HoH 59 years
• 11 Total losses
• Actual unmet need 2 million 5 total losses

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Its Local
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DANI Strategy

• Case workers/family advocates meet with clients
  and develop a long-term recovery plan
• Raise funds for needed materials Major boost
  from Indiana Natural Disaster Fund
• Schedule volunteers for labor supervised by
  Lafayette Habitat for Humanity
• Identify potential Nehemiah Partners (church or
  service organization to come along side of the
  project family)

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DANI Construction Management

• Construction Committee Chair from local Habitat
  for Humanity group
• Construction Supervisor on loan full time from
  local HfH
• About 3000 volunteer hours in 9 months
• Most common repairs/rehab work done include
  flooring, drywall, deck/porch replacement,
  interior trim

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DANI Construction Management
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DANI Construction Management

• Challenges Remedies
• Volunteers
• Distinguishing between flood damage and delayed
  maintenance
• Incorporating mitigation
• Building Codes from 8 counties
• Travel and scheduling across 8-county district

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NVOAD Rebuilding Standards

• Identifying the need to standardize
• What we propose should be standardized
• LTRGs would be strongly encouraged to adopt the
  standards (with or without National VOAD members
  participation.)  

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NVOAD Rebuilding Standards (cont.)

• National VOAD members are expected to adhere to
  the following standards
• Long term recovery work should be done regardless
  of the race, creed, or religious beliefs of the
  client.
• Rebuild in accordance to the IBC  (which is a
  minimum standard) and local codes, with local
  codes prevailing if there is a discrepancy
  between the two.
• Encourage long term recovery organizations and
  committees to rebuild above and beyond the IBC
  and local codes as a part of a larger commitment
  to our donors and the communities in which we
  work to reduce their vulnerability to future
  disasters.

DRAFT
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NVOAD Rebuilding Standards (cont.)

• National VOAD members are expected to adhere to
  the following standards
• When rebuilding for disabled clients, ADA
  standards should be considered and used whenever
  feasible.
• Rebuild with materials and practices that are
  energy efficient.
• Mitigation practices should be used whenever
  possible to minimize the risk of future events.
• Ensure that skilled construction person(s) will
  supervise and offer guidance throughout the long
  term recovery process.

DRAFT
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NVOAD Rebuilding Standards (cont.)

• National VOAD members are expected to adhere to
  the following standards
• Respect the local character of the clients
  community and cultural norms as they pertain to
  the rebuilding of the clients home, depending
  upon the resources available to the LTRO/LTRC.
• Will work on homes that have gone through the
  case management process (see National VOAD case
  management standards ).
• Quality of workmanship should be done to industry
  standards.
• Safety standards must be in place for field staff
  and volunteers prior to the start of construction
  projects and continue throughout .

DRAFT
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Next Up

• Final thoughts from the presenters
• Group Discussion