Fighting Blight
Stakeholders Should
Word Together
By Robert Klein
There is not a community in America that is immune to
the national blight epidemic. While
there is not a silver bullet to cure this devastation, I do believe there are
innovative solutions, as well as common sense measures that can be taken to
ease the burden on communities, homeowners, and local governments. This takes a
multifaceted approach that uses a combination of resources to breathe life back
into hard hit communities.
Rehabilitation and fighting blight cannot be done in a silo. It requires
bringing stakeholders to the same table and thinking creatively to produce a
solution.
This method is currently being tested at what is called the
“ground zero” of the foreclosure crisis in Slavic Village of Cleveland. Slavic Village is the story of a
private-philanthropic partnership coming together to fight blight by
rehabilitating a Cleveland neighborhood where between 23% and 30% of the homes
are vacant. The focus of the partnership formed between Slavic Village
Development, RIK Enterprises and Neighborhood Progress Inc. is
to obtain properties from lenders, mortgage servicers, and the local land bank
in order to renovate the homes to sell or rent.
This process removes bureaucratic obstacles and also has the ability to
bring large scale improvement to a community in a relatively short amount of
time.
In Slavic Village homes beyond repair were identified
immediately to support the overall redevelopment. One of the most important steps in rehabbing
a community is identifying what cannot be salvaged. Unfortunately, there are
often challenges in getting the demolition process underway as the permit
process can be both costly and time consuming.
This proves that greater education is necessary on the need for
demolition and its associated benefits.
While many may consider demolition as a last resort, it is
in fact a vital step in a comprehensive approach. It is impossible to cultivate development and
garner interest from investors if homes that cannot be saved are still
standing. If the proper steps are not taken to remove a nuisance property then
rehabbing efforts are futile. There are
also several benefits in demolition including stabilizing property values and
eliminating older homes that contain dangerous substances such asbestos. Additionally, many of the materials from
demolished properties can be recycled.
Land banks are a great tool in getting rid of nuisance
properties. Centralizing vacant and
abandon properties is a highly effective way to fight blight. Land banks can make the process for starting
demolition more efficient and increase the effectiveness of property
preservation. Communities are
increasingly considering the possibility of land banks as a way to recover and
repurpose vacant properties, and servicers with surplus real estate owned
properties are recognizing the value in donating to land banks.
Property preservation is the bottom line in maintaining home
values, avoiding extreme rehabbing or demolition and ultimately fighting
blight. I believe one of the best tools
at our disposal in this battle is a new innovative product that secures vacant
properties, preserves home values, and increases neighborhood safety. SecureView is an alternative board-up system
that is designed to look like traditional windows providing clear views,
letting in natural light. This is revolutionary way to secure vacant and
abandoned properties without exposing their vacancy. By utilizing SecureView
rather than traditional methods for securing homes, both marketability and
safety are enhanced. SecureView is the only product that allows first
responders to see inside a vacant property in the event of an emergency.
Made from 100% recycled materials, it is virtually
unbreakable, which means it has the wherewithal to protect property from
intrusion, and reduce the crime and squatting so often associated with plywood
and steel board ups. SecureView can be
modified to fit any window, and is quickly and easily installed using a simple
but effective compression bolt system. This is truly an effective solution to
the issue of blight, increasing a property's value due to improved curb appeal,
which in turn helps to stabilize the entire neighborhood.
There may not be a silver bullet in fighting blight but this
is a close second. Although the Nation has begun to climb out of an economic
recession, this industry will continue to rebuild communities facing the
aftermath of a housing crisis.
If we can recognize our collective resources and take a step
back to think outside the box a little, we can help these communities join the
rest of America on the road to recovery.
It is my hope that Slavic Village, the “ground zero” of the
foreclosure crisis, will be looked at as a model for rehabilitation rather than
a reminder of devastation.
Published in the June 20013 Edition of HousingWire Focus Magazine
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