Comments on Fire deaths in abandominium raise call for action - Greater Greater Washington

Comment by danmac

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 15:49:00 EDT

the whole DHDC process needs to be investigated. May 19th 2012 I sent an email as a follow up to 454 N St NW
"19 May DHCD
back in Jan and Feb I inquired about this blighted property. At that time I spoke to someone who identified herself as the project person for the property, She said she had been working on that for 3 year sand hoped to have an MOU signed by March. This is past the middle of May what exactly is happening. BTW a list on this website dated 26 Jan lists the property as turnkey phase 1. A search of the site fails to provide a definition of turnkey or turnkey phase 1. I await a response . Thank you"
I got an answer that it was moving and they were working on an MOU. I walked past it several weeks ago , same sign same condition. This on a street in a rapidly improving neighorhood. These properties need to be offered for 1 dollar to people who will agree to rehab and occupy. That a city employee has been drawing a salary for over three years to manage a project yielding no result is simply ridiculous

Comment by Jack

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 15:24:51 EDT

that Ward should not get a dime of my money so long as it elects Marion Barry to represent it

you reap what you sow Anacostia

Comment by Alan B.

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 10:25:41 EDT

If that's the case Kolohe then it should be fixable. I realize SE is not the most desirable spot in DC but the land is surely worth tens of thousands of dollars. Do some teardowns if needed and sell the land off for pennies on the dollar. Or donate it to local non-profits in lieu of other operational support. I absolutely don't believe that this is budgetary problem, though I might be convinced that the competence and political will is lacking.

Comment by Kolohe

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 21:31:32 EDT

I thought one of the problems, based on Mr. Muller's (excellent series of) previous reporting, is that some of the derelict properties in SE (and other places, but mostly far SE) *have* been taken over by the city (or city orgs like DCHD) but the new 'owners' lacked the budget wherewithal & political will, (and frankly, sometimes the bureaucratic competence) to do anything but let them slide into further disrepair.

Comment by Falls Church

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 17:02:18 EDT

Alan B. makes a good point. There should be some way to bring these units back into productive use since it's in no one's interest to have them remain vacant.

Tax delinquents should only get so long before the property is seized. Absentee owners and whomever has rights to a dissolved company's assets, should have an interest in selling the property or getting it back into productive use. Perhaps the city can help them along.

Comment by H Street LL

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:58:47 EDT

Excellent read. Very sad about the deaths. I am glad that the city is properly investigating what happened, though.

The complex at 17th and W really kills that immediate area. Talk about scary... Ridiculous that nothing has been done with it.

Comment by Ben

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:57:04 EDT

I was in Bridgeport, CT, over Christmas and on Christmas eve, there were five fires at abandoned properties. Unfortunately, there was also one fatality.

http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Bridgeport-authorities-continue-search-for-4145188.php

If Vince Gray is going to spend $100M on affordable housing, it would seem that a good start would be rehabbing these abandoned houses and apartments (assuming they are structurally sound).

Comment by Alan B.

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:32:37 EDT

accepting property in lieu of property taxes that is

Comment by Alan B.

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:30:51 EDT

If the owners are tax delinquent, I assume the city can put a lien on the property and eventually seize it. Not sure what the timeline is. It would be interesting to know how that process works and what if anything can be improved. Maybe the city should just have a smiple policy of accepting policy in lieu of all owed property taxes? Then they could sell it for whatever the market will bear or give it to non-profit developers in exchange for affordable unit stipulations.

Comment by JFMAMJJASON

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:18:10 EDT

Fascinating read. How often do I walk, cycle or drive by abandominia and underpass camps without thinking twice about their human inhabitants.

The author is correct. This is a major public health dilemma every bit as real as guns, HIV, etc.