Chickens have come home and are roosting on the front steps of City Hall. Perhaps those who make Housing and Community Development policy can now understand the feeling of hopelessness that permeates some of our neighborhoods.
It’s difficult not to chuckle as the city of Syracuse finds that it has no control of properties HUD’s planning to auction. Seems Syracuse officials’ arguments are echoing what individual homeowners have to face when saddled with a deteriorating house next door.
You are on your own.
The city of Syracuse doesn’t have resources to help you.
In order to stop HUD’s action the city of Syracuse has to come up with 9 million dollars just to purchase the properties. The city estimates that it would cost millions more to renovate the properties.
On a smaller scale you get the same argument when your neighbor has decided to abandon a house and the city doesn’t have the money or will to remove the hazard. Live with it.
HUD is telling the city of Syracuse the same thing the city of Syracuse says to residential property owner(s) – put up with abandoned, tax delinquent, deteriorating properties next door.
So, if you find yourself living next to a tax delinquent property that happens to be a safety hazard – I’m afraid
to tell you this, but nothing is going to happen.
I repeat; nothing is going to happen. I know because since October 2005 I’ve been in the city’s faces regarding these issues.
Don’t bother getting petitions signed by your neighbors. Been there done that.
Don’t bother going to those B*ll S**t meetings about “the neighborhood.” Been there done that too!
Insanity is asking a public official for the same city services and having to repeat the same requests annually, with the same results.
I find it difficult to have any feelings of empathy with the mayor on this HUD situation as I’ve documented in this column some of us homeowners have done everything we’ve been told by city officials only to have our requests ignored, over and over again.
I now believe in the power of chickens and they’re roosting on the steps of City Hall.
