Demolitions

Today's Journal...

Affordable housing scarce, experts say
Official says public housing needs growing as market rents rise

While there have been signs that the economy is picking up, lower income people are still finding it a challenge to find affordable housing, local experts say.

The city is also in the midst of an ongoing federal investigation of several landlords who were in the Section 8 program. Adkins said three to four landlords have been removed from the Section 8 program for fraud.

He said there are about 1,500 vacant rental units in the city which are leased at market value, according to the 2010 census. In addition, property values in the city have dropped 8 percent and that there are more than 3,000 vacant homes.

Adkins said the Hamilton/Middletown area has the lowest affordable housing in the region but added that “there’s difference between affordable and decent housing.”

“But if you have a minimum wage job, you won’t be able to buy a house because you can’t make a down payment or get a mortgage,” he said.

Adkins said the city is working to remove blighted properties and save what’s good in the city’s housing stock. He said the city works with several organizations to assist people with home repairs

Adkins said the city is working to remove blighted properties and save what’s good in the city’s housing stock. He said the city works with several organizations to assist people with home repairs

PROPERTY VALUES HAVE DROPPED 8 PERCENT AND THERE ARE 3000 VACANT HOMES.....AND THE CITY HAS ADDED TO THE CARNAGE BY WELCOMING ANY AND ALL SECTION 8 VOUCHER PEOPLE, MAXING OUT THE VOUCHER NUMBERS. NOTHING TO BE PROUD OF CITY LEADERS.

I LIKE THIS STATEMENT BY ADKINS....

“But if you have a minimum wage job, you won’t be able to buy a house because you can’t make a down payment or get a mortgage,”

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE LOW INCOME PEOPLE ON SECTION 8 ARE PAID ON THEIR JOBS? (IF THEY HAVE ONE AT ALL) MORE TOWARDS MINIMUM WAGE, RIGHT? IF THE PEOPLE YOU ARE BRINGING INTO TOWN HAVE LOW WAGE JOBS, THEY WILL NEVER BY ABLE TO PURCHASE THE VACANT HOUSING STOCK IN TOWN, BY YOUR OWN ADMISSION, RIGHT? THEN WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THESE PEOPLE BEING HERE (OTHER THAN BRINGING IN FED MONEY) IF THEY ARE ALWAYS GOING TO TAKE HANDOUTS AND NEVER CONTRIBUTE BY MAKING ENOUGH TO EVENTUALLY BUY A HOUSE? WHY TRASH THE TOWN UP WITH LOW INCOME...HAS NO UPSIDE. IF IT WERE A GOOD THING, OTHER CITIES WOULD BE DOING IT.

Does Evans have the contract ?

I would imagine that it doesn't matter whether these homes can be rehabbed or not; they have the money now to demolish them and that's what they intend to do. 

Randy
With the new Land Bank Program Middletown will demo 300 homes over the next 18 months. I would presume that the majority of the homes will be in the 2^nd Ward.

That's quite a list.