Councilman to tackle abandoned properties
At last count over 12,000 abandoned homes, businesses in Jacksonville
http://www.news4jax.com/news/councilman-to-tackle-abandoned-properties/26799960?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Appears he has called a special meeting for Monday at 9:00AM.
This seems to be the opposite response to Denise Lee's tear them down after 24 months strategy.
There are several good alternatives to demolition. Ms. Lee can't be serious about simply tearing these places down, hopefully she is just trying to start a discourse by shocking the sensibilities of the logical people of Jacksonville, right?
Auction these properties to the highest bidder.
Or sell them cheap.
Or convert them to homes for the Homeless.
Somehow, put bodies in these places who will care and feed them. Many people like to rehab properties (like myself), and live in them or sell for a profit.
This would also put these houses and businesses back on the paying tax rolls. Vacant lots don't pay taxes, nor do they produce commerce or promote a neighborhood.
Long term if we stopped sprawling we'd have more infill and demand would go up for these properties.
Crap. I won't be back in town to make Monday's meeting but I've been checking out neighborhoods in Detroit where the demolish abandoned buildings strategy has been in place for decades. The result doesn't look good and it's hard to find examples of where this policy has turned these inner city communities around. The majority of these empty lots have weeds that are five to six feet tall. All they are doing is draining the value of the remaining structures adjacent to them. Anyway, I'll have lots of pictures.
Preservation is sustainable. We all know that. Several cities: San Francisco, DC, and Seattle have over the years incentivized development in troubled areas that led of course to revitalization. Preservation Green Lab from the NTHP works with partners and cities to make positive pathways for neighborhood development using current resources (i.e. Existing housing stick and buildings) I just read a research article from Green Lab. I'll add the link here once I dig it up. Long but worth the read. Gives several proven strategies but of course it requires teamwork and city effort.
Here's a bit of info on Hope Now mentioned by CM Gulliford.
http://www.hopenow.com/hopenow-aboutus.php
What is HOPE NOW?
HOPE NOW is an alliance between counselors, mortgage companies, investors, and other mortgage market participants. This alliance will maximize outreach efforts to homeowners in distress to help them stay in their homes and will create a unified, coordinated plan to reach and help as many homeowners as possible. The members of this alliance recognize that by working together, they will be more effective than by working independently.
Click here to see full list of Alliance members. The Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development encouraged leaders in the lending industry, investors and non-profits to form this alliance.
Here is the executive summary. Much shorter:
http://www.preservationnation.org/information-center/sustainable-communities/green-lab/oldersmallerbetter/report/NTHP_PGL_OlderSmallerBetter_ExecSummary.pdf
Principles for other cities:
Realize the efficiencies of older buildings and blocks.
Fit new and old together at a human scale.
Support neighborhood evolution, not revolution.
Steward the streetcar legacy.
Make room for the new and local economy.
Make it easier to reuse small buildings.
At least Gulliford's solution is positive. It potentially could help homeowners in distress who can not make their mortgage payments. It doesn't address abandonment and current vacancies though.
Quote from: thelakelander on July 05, 2014, 10:59:02 AM
Crap. I won't be back in town to make Monday's meeting but I've been checking out neighborhoods in Detroit where the demolish abandoned buildings strategy has been in place for decades. The result doesn't look good and it's hard to find examples of where this policy has turned these inner city communities around. The majority of these empty lots have weeds that are five to six feet tall. All they are doing is draining the value of the remaining structures adjacent to them. Anyway, I'll have lots of pictures.
But then we could get all the post-apocalyptic movies to film in Springfield
It would alleviate scams from LLCs. Predominately cancers like Tarpon IV. In Spfld I think there are more absent investors than slumlords. For the most part, predominate part, IMO, occupied houses are kept up whether owned or rented in Spfld. It's the vacant ones we struggle with. Placing these homes in the hands of able owners would be a positive solution in addition to finding a way to incentivize the purchase/restoration.
With the number of houses needing attention, investors, good investors investing in the actual houses not tax speculation, will be needed to reach the ultimate goal of getting these houses inhabited again. Our non-profit makes and installs A C cages for one large investment management company that plans on buying and revitalizing hundreds houses this year alone. They do a nice job of taking empty, abandoned houses and turning them in to homes for people already. They do it pretty efficiently and economically. I also know some of the contractors and they take pride in what they do and still are able to meet the needs of the investment company. If we are going to take on turning around the rest of the 12,000 houses out there, then perhaps as a city we need to learn from if not partner with solid and successful companies such as are out here already rather then try to reinvent the wheel.