A workshop at WVU Tech in Montgomery in October will provide information for communities looking to access funding to demolish or acquire dilapidated buildings.

Staff from the West Virginia Housing Development Fund and other property development experts from around the state will provide information on the new Property Rescue Initiative, which will allocate $1 million per year over the next five years for a revolving loan program available to municipalities and counties to acquire and/or remove dilapidated properties from their communities.

In addition to loan funding, the Property Rescue Initiative provides technical assistance in the form of workshops, including this event in Montgomery, and consultations to prepare communities for the loan application process.

The workshop is free and open to the public. The focus of the workshop will be on the region covering Kanawha, Boone, Fayette, Clay and Lincoln counties, and municipal staff and community members from these areas are especially encouraged to attend.

When: October 9, 2015, 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Where: WVU Tech, Tech Center Ballroom

To register: bit.ly/PRIWorkshop2015

Del. Nancy Peoples Guthrie, D – Kanawha, the lead sponsor of the bill that created the Property Rescue Initiative during the 2015 legislative session, said that outside of a few cities and towns, most local governments do not have the resources to do what it takes to raze dilapidated structures.

“Outside of drugs and crime, what I hear from my constituents about most often is abandoned, dilapidated property,” she said. “With this program we can do so much to improve our communities and put this property to the best use. The Fund offering technical assistance could be a real game changer for many of these communities.”

For more information about the Property Rescue Initiative, visit www.wvhdf.com/WVPRI, or call
 (304) 391-8643.