How Demolition Can Stabilize a Community
By Robert Klein
Recovering from the national housing crisis has been and
continues to be a long, multi-stage process.
The housing market will play a critical role in the broader economic
recovery of our Nation. After implementing
new banking regulations and budget cutbacks, lawmakers have turned their
attention to repairing the fabric of America:
our cities, neighborhoods, and small towns. States around the country are making strides
towards legislation for fast tracking foreclosures and some governments have
even instituted statewide vacant property registration guidelines. On the surface, this subject may seem a lot simpler
than other issues Americans have dealt with in the wake of the housing crisis,
and while rebuilding America’s communities may not be as complex as crafting
the Dodd-Frank bill, it is much more than bricks, mortar, and 2x4’s. There is a
lack of understanding of the most effective way to implement the revitalization
process. I believe it requires a
holistic approach with several simultaneous steps and demolition is a critical
starting point.
While many may consider demolition a last resort, it is in fact
a critical component of a comprehensive approach required when rehabbing a
community. It is impossible to cultivate
development and garner interest from prospective home buyers and investors, if
homes that cannot be salvaged are allowed to remain as a blight to the
neighborhood. These properties present a
health and safety hazard for residents and neighboring homes and make it
impossible for home values to rise. If a nuisance property is not removed or renovated,
then rehabbing efforts are futile.
There are also several benefits associated with demolition,
including stabilizing property values and the elimination of substandard
housing stock that may contain dangerous substances such asbestos. Also, many of the materials from demolished
properties can be recycled. Cities are now
repurposing the lots from demolished homes into green space, parks and
playgrounds to cultivate community development.
More importantly, demolition paves the way for salvageable homes to be rehabilitated,
allowing for the subsequent steps in the re-development process. In the aftermath of demolition we can create
these community pulse points and allow neighboring homeowners to preserve their
property values and see their neighborhood or small town come back to
life.
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 critical need for demolition and the associated
benefits. Dollars from both the
Neighborhood Stabilization Program and the Hardest Hit Fund have been dedicated
to demolition efforts. Yet despite this,
in many states across the country there has been a struggle for communities to
get their hands on these funds because of the stigma associated with
demolition. If the proper funds are not
distributed for demolition efforts then dollars spent to keep people in their
homes and rehabilitate communities are completely undermined.
We need to educate people on what demolition really means. Demolition is not tearing down your
grandmother’s home or the house you grew up in or destroying homes that could
be used for affordable housing. Houses
that need to be demolished are no longer homes
at all. They are properties that
endanger your community, perpetuate blight and prevent any revitalization
efforts.
