Abandoned houses afflict Anderson (Indiana)

[melnjones]

"ANDERSON, Ind. — Twelve houses in the city will be demolished to prevent criminals from setting them on fire or using them for drug activity, officials said.

Anderson building commissioner Michael Widing has compiled a list of 40 houses that are unsafe and need to be demolished soon.

Most of the houses on his list have absentee ownership. As 30,000 GM jobs left, so did nearly 20,000 residents over the past 30 years from the city 35 miles northeast of Indianapolis."

..snip...

"He said he would have no trouble adding 500 more houses to the demolition list, plus another 500 houses that are unsafe but could be repaired. But it costs $5,000 to tear down a house, and the city has only about $100,000 to do the work, enough for 20 houses, The Herald Bulletin reported Sunday."
http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200550509003

Yay for our fantastic economy...