Demolition grants helping communities

1/2/2014 - South Side Leader

Miller said the state grant program was established through a settlement from a suit against banks that used practices that spurred on the foreclosure crisis. Ohio received $95 million, and $3.7 million of this was allocated to Summit County. Of that amount, $500,000 was available outright, and the rest required a match from local communities participating in the program.

Communities had the option to lien back their local match portion of the demolition costs to the homeowner, and they had to use their matching funds first before accessing county grant money, Miller added.

The process to demolish a home through the grant program involved administrative work on the part of the participating communities. After identifying homes to be included under the grant program, the actual demolition process included completing asbestos abatement, clearing the home of all items inside, filling the basement in once the home was demolished, capping the well and crushing the septic tank.

Demolition of substandard homes were easier to accomplish if owners agreed to the process, according to participating community officials.

Miller said all demolitions using Moving Ohio Forward grant funds had to be complete by Dec. 31, with paperwork due by Jan. 31, 2014.

In the South Side News Leader coverage area, Springfield led the effort to clean up vacant and blighted homes. According to Miller, the township got $381,037, with $100,000 provided through the local funds match.

Zoning and Planning Administrator Patricia Ryan said the township had participated in a similar grant program in 2007 that took down a large number of structures so officials were interested once again in taking part. She said 44 properties were taken down by the end of the year.

I think the current grant has helped immensely by eliminating structurally deficient, blighted and/or vacant residences from neighborhoods, and in the long run [this] will improve the values of the remaining properties, she said. All in all, the reactions of the neighbors [have] been extremely positive. Many neighbors came out to watch the demolitions, and in a few instances, cheered. The property owners who signed waivers were thankful that they did not have to pay the full cost of the demolition, which in some instances had kept them from taking the structures down earlier. Many were relieved and thrilled that they now had a clear lot to rebuild or sell.

Ryan said there are a lot more homes that should be torn down, and added township officials are committed to making such improvements. She said the township has routinely allocated some money for nuisance abatement demolitions every year.

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Demolition grants helping communities