The City of Erie has launched a new initiative aimed at addressing blight.

Erie City Council has approved an ordinance that requires vacant and foreclosed properties to be registered.
 
"Blight is one of the biggest things holding back this community," said Erie City Council President Chuck Nelson.  "It makes neighborhoods not very welcoming."
 
The ordinance requires owners of unoccupied properties to pay a $300.00 registration fee to the city, every six months.
 
Property owners must also provide a point of contact on who is maintaining the property, for code enforcement.
 
"This is a chance for our code enforcement to have some resources, to have some information, and to have a registry, and to have the funds to back it up."  said Nelson.
 
Mayor Joe Schember says he supports the ordinance.
 
"Some of it's rental units that are just getting in such bad shape, nobody can even live in them anymore," said Mayor Schember.  "We've got to get things like that off the street and we have to start building new places for people to live."
 
The ordinance aims to improve housing throughout the city, while holding the owners of neglected properties accountable.
 
"This year, I'm really hoping city council comes up with an agenda that helps our housing situation in Erie," said Nelson.  "It's a national problem for a housing shortage, so we need to keep the housing we have in good working condition."
 
Owners of unoccupied properties who don't register their properties will be subject to fines.

 

This story is supported by the Economic Hardship Reporting Project.