For the past year, Habitat for Humanity has maintained there were no defects in Chinese drywall used in about 200 homes built after devastating Hurricane Katrina. Many residences of concern are located in the Musicians’ Village area in the Upper Ninth Ward of New Orleans.

The development was conceived by Harry Connick, Jr. and Branford Marsalis in hopes of bringing back treasured musicians to the Crescent City. Habitat has begun investigating about 50 dwellings thought to have been built with American wallboard and confirmed that five houses contain Chinese drywall. Relevant problems associated with the product are surfacing such as corroded electrical wiring, wrote ProPublica.

Three homeowners in Musicians’ Village told reporters from ProPublica and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune that they had a myriad of problems, from faulty appliances and electronics to corroded jewelry and metals. Included were health issues such as irritated eyes and respiratory ailments. One woman said she had repeatedly complained to Habitat for almost a year regarding appliance failures and odd corrosion, but an inspector never arrived.

Some of the wallboard used by Habitat, bought in 2007, came from Taishan Gypsum Co. drywall. The organization said testing done deemed it safe so they continued using the Taishan product through 2009. Other builders had ceased using it by then, said ProPublica.

However, testing methods used by the company Habitat hired have been discredited, according to ProPublica. Strangely, instead of testing the actual drywall, the firm tested the warehouse air where the wallboard was stored and the air in a volunteer center that contained the drywall.

Since late 2008, the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) has received over 3,000 reports from residents in 37 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico regarding toxic Chinese drywall. Gases emitted from the wallboard are blamed for significant property damage, including HVAC systems, smoke detectors, electrical wiring, metal plumbing components, and other household appliances. These gases also produce a sulfurous odor that permeates homes, and cause metals, including air conditioning coils and even jewelry, to corrode. People living with Chinese drywall complain of eye, respiratory and sinus problems that could be associated with the gases.

According to the CPSC, the only way to remedy a home with tainted drywall is to remove wallboard, the electrical wiring and other components. Will Habitat do that for these homes?