About
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Dilapidated Properties Program (DLAP) was created in 2021 with the
passage of Senate Bill 368 and is supported by WVDEP’s Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan (REAP) within
the Office of Environmental Advocate. Thanks to financial support appropriated from the Coronavirus State
Fiscal Recovery Fund by Governor Jim Justice and the West Virginia Legislature in 2022 and 2023, DLAP is
working to subgrant a total of thirty million dollars to municipalities and counties across the state. Once
the grant is awarded, DLAP funds can pay invoices for activities such as title work, asbestos testing, asbestos
abatement, demolition, and solid waste disposal. The program can not reimburse for activities conducted prior to
the award date, and grantees must submit additional code enforcement and legal right of entry documentation
prior to receiving an Authorization to Proceed.
Dilapidated properties can have far-reaching consequences, encompassing environmental hazards, crime, and economic
decline. Moreover, they significantly impact property values and tend to disproportionately burden low-income
communities and communities of color. Through the Dilapidated Properties Program, WVDEP is leveraging allocated
resources to engage with municipalities and counties across the state, "Turning liabilities into opportunities,
one dilapidated property at a time".