NPR picked up this story by Northstate Public Radio yesterday, "Demand for housing is high in the Adirondacks. So is the number of Vacant homes." Emily Russell reports from Saranac Lake. Here's an excerpt that describes a sort of "rural blight" phenomenon--and what can be done about it:
The housing crisis in Saranac Lake and throughout the Adirondacks is complex. Vacant homes are just part of the problem, but Allan Mallach, a national housing expert at the Center for Community Progress, says it’s a delicate one that can start with just one abandoned home in a neighborhood.
“People start to say, ‘if this property is being neglected, why should I bother?’ And it sort of creates a chain reaction.”
Franklin County, which includes Saranac Lake, is applying to create its own land bank. Jeremy Evans is the CEO of the Franklin County Economic Development Corporation.
“When a town or village comes and asks the land bank for help with a problem property, the land bank has the resources, the technical expertise, the financial resources to say, ‘Yes we can help with that.’”The land bank can then decide whether to invest in the property and eventually put it back on the market or demolish it. Ogdensburg has its own land bank and Essex County is in the midst of a pilot project this fall. There are dozens of other land banks across the state.
This story is part of a series on the housing shortage in the region.
No comments:
Post a Comment