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New Orleans Gets Tough To Fight The Blight
City Council Considers Higher Fines, Foreclosures



February 28, 2008, 5:30 PM CST

NEW ORLEANS, LA — City leaders estimate there are at least 7500 homes and buildings in New Orleans, untouched since Katrina.

Turn down most streets in the storm damaged neighborhoods and you see signs of rebirth, next door to abandoned buildings frozen in time.

Simon Dave is rebuilding his home in New Orleans east.

Other homes on Briarheath Drive sit in limbo.

Dave says the vacant buildings are more than just an eye sore.

"It's been infested around here with rats and snakes," said Dave. "I've already had two water moccasins in my yard and mosquitoes."

This week, Mayor Ray Nagin's recovery office asked the city council to consider a new "get-tough" policy when it comes to blight.

The proposal would give the city more power to clean up abandoned properties, stick the owner with the bill and take the property if the owner doesn't pay up.

The city could also fine negligent landlords up to $500 per day.

"The Road Home money is coming in," said Recovery Director Ed Blakely. "There are few excuses. Trailers need to be removed from front yards. Houses need to be fixed up."

The city is also turning to FEMA and the state for money to conduct a house to house, block by block survey of New Orleans neighborhoods.

The recovery office wants to get a better handle on the number of blighted, abandoned and storm damaged that are out there, just rotting away, while neighbors try to rebuild and return.

"If they are an absentee owner get tough with them, give them a prescription and ask them to enter into an agreement with us as to how that place is to be fixed up," said Blakely.

Simon Dave says it's about time.

"You don't want to see a trailer that no one has ever been in, in your neighborhood," said Dave. "You don't want to see the grass growing over the house. You don't want to see trash and debris and odors from that have yet to be gutted yet."

Copyright © 2008, WGNO



 
 
 
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