Columbus Razes 1,300 Housing Units With State Grant Funds

Foreclosures during the Great Recession added to thousands of blighted properties in Columbus. But, a state program helped fund demolition of many of those houses and apartment units. A report by state Attorney General, Mike DeWine, says grant funds helped Columbus and Franklin County tear down more than 1,200 blighted houses and apartment units during the past two years. City spokeswoman Cynthia Rickman says the demolitions 'significantly' helped some neighborhoods. "They're always glad to see those go because obviously blighted properties breed crime. And so that's one way to rid crime as well as a blighted eyesore on a property then it makes all the difference to the folks in our neighborhoods," says Rickman. The Columbus and Franklin County land bank received $10-million in state grants to help fund the demolitions. Rickman says the city still counts 5,900 vacant properties but not all of those properties are slated for demolition. Rickman says demolitions hinge on whether the city or county can obtain ownership of the blighted properties. "Well it was significant and it was unprecedented, the volume of demolitions that we were able to happen and it certainly helped make a dent, a nice dent in demolishing properties," says Rickman. DeWine added that each of Ohio's 88 counties received a portion of the $75 million in grant money based on their percentage of foreclosures from 2008 to 2011. The program expired in December. It was funded by a national settlement with major mortgage servicers.