The Army reports of the successful partnership between Corvias Military Living, Joint Readiness Training Center, and Fort Polk on a multimillion-dollar project to improve housing at Fort Polk.
The project has already invested $15 million to renovate more than 550 homes that included roof replacements, stucco painting, gutter work and three miles of road paving. Completed under budget, Corvias is now spending the remaining $8 million to make improvements to another 580 homes on base.
Betty Beinkemper, U.S. Army garrison housing assistance office chief said, “you can see and feel a huge difference when you ride through the neighborhood. We get feedback from residents about how proud they are of the upgrades to their neighborhood.” Beinkemper continued, “ These types of renovations not only improve the look of the homes, but they extend the lifespan of the home for several years to come.”
Staff Sgt. Chris Eckelkamp, 46th Engineer Battalion, is living in on-post housing for the first time in 11 years along with his spouse, Lauren, and their two children Carson, 6, and Taylor, 10. Lauren said, “it’s been a wonderful experience. We think of our home as a safe haven, and Corvias helps us do that.”
Other Dogwood Terrace residents like Staff Sgt. Chad Withee and his family have had similar positive experiences. His wife Catherine explains, “Corvias tends to respond quickly when you have an issue. Sometimes when I call the hotline to place a work order, they tell me they will call me back to schedule a time to work on the issue; but before that even happens, there’s a maintenance worker knocking on the door to fix whatever is wrong.”