Hillsborough County, Florida has taken a step forward in helping some of the homeowners that have been plagued with Chinese Drywall.  At least 144 single family homes and nearly 200 condominiums in the Hillsborough County area have filed complaints with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).  County Commissioners have approved a plan to move $500,000 that was set aside for blighted areas and put it towards aiding struggling homeowners by replacing the defective drywall as well as other affected components.

By the end of April of this year the CPSC has received over 3,000 complaints from 37 different states across the nation in regards to the defective drywall.

During the housing boom builders were running low on supplies and in an effort to keep up with the demand, began receiving materials from overseas.  The drywall received from China had high levels of strontium which is believed to be a major cause of the problems surrounding the defective material.

The defective drywall emits a sulfur-like smell throughout the home and is believed to cause corrosion in copper wiring, appliances, jewelry and in some cases respiratory problems have been reported.
Homeowners dealing with the effects of Chinese Drywall have received little to no relief, as insurance companies consider the problem to be “pre-existing”, FEMA is staying out of it and most builders don’t believe it to be their problem.

It’s good to see that Hillsborough County is stepping up to help.