Video: Columbus City Leaders Want Abandoned Homes Gone

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COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Sitting on her front porch on Columbus’s Northside, Nellie McGee’s seen a lot.

“Abandoned houses that haven’t been kept up, yards haven’t been mowed or anything.  We have street problems and everything around in the neighborhood,” said McGee.

And it’s not just her corner on 10th Avenue. On nearly every street in Ward 5 stands at least one empty house.

” If we could see more of the houses being torn down or fixed up in the neighborhood, it would help us,” said McGee.

Ward 5 Councilman Kabir Karriem wants city leaders to tackle the problem.

“It’s a safety hazard, as well as a quality of life issue I hope that we can address immediately. We’re asking the council to create a task force that will encompass a federal program, as well as an office of planning, community resources, and a building inspection department where they can come up with incentives to give individuals that will come back and redevelop these properties and build homes in these areas,” said Councilman Karriem.

Karriem wants the city to not only eliminate abandoned houses but also invest in them.

“One thing that came out of the retreat that we just had was trying to increase our demolition of these dilapidated properties to 50 %, but the caveat to that is not only demolish these homes, but see how can we put these homes back on the tax rolls, whether it’s a vacant lot or a dilapidated property,” said Councilman Karriem.

Nellie hopes leaders consider the option so that she sees a prettier neighborhood the next time she walks out her front door.

“I think it’s good. In the future I would like to see everything better than what it is,” said McGee.

City leaders plan on reaching out to Tupelo and other towns that have developed similar incentive ideas. Columbus City Council will discuss the task force option at their next meeting on Tuesday at 5:00.