Saranac Lake wins $75k grant to fight zombie homes
SARANAC LAKE – This village has been awarded a $75,000 grant to help combat “zombie” properties in the community.
The funding was announced Tuesday in a press release from state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, as part of his Zombie Remediation and Prevention Initiative. His office is handing out nearly $13 million to 76 towns, cities and villages to support their efforts to address zombie properties, the name given to vacant and abandoned homes that are not maintained during the foreclosure process.
“These grants will help rebuild, revitalize, and stabilize communities across the state,” Schneiderman said in the press release.
Village Community Development Director Jeremy Evans said the funding will allow the village to expand the workload of a part-time code enforcement officer from roughly 10 to 20 hours a week, to pay for legal costs associated with code enforcement efforts, and to create a full inventory of zombie properties in the community.
Evans also said the village will direct people to mortgage assistance programs run by the Housing Assistance Program of Essex County that are designed to keep homeowners out of foreclosure and in their homes.
“We’re very excited because this will accelerate or amplify the efforts and the investment the village board has already made,” Evans said. “Specifically, the board has made it possible for us to have specialized legal services related to code enforcement and zoning, and they budgeted for a part time code-enforcement officer/building inspector. The board had already done that through the current budget. This is a way to build upon that.”
Saranac Lake is one of three area communities that were awarded funding through the AG’s zombie initiative. The village of Malone and town of Ticonderoga also won $75,000 grants.
The grant fund was established in July with funds drawn from a $3.2 billion settlement agreement Schneiderman negotiated with Morgan Stanley over its alleged deceptive practices leading up to the 2008 financial crisis.
Earlier this year, the state Legislature approved the Abandoned Property Neighborhood Relief Act, a bill Schneiderman wrote. Among other provisions, it requires banks to register any properties abandoned by their owners with the Department of Financial Services and to maintain those properties during the foreclosure process. Banks can be fined for non-compliance. The state will share the registry with local municipalities and will run a toll-free hotline for individuals to report such properties.
Saranac Lake wins $75k grant to fight zombie homes
SARANAC LAKE – This village has been awarded a $75,000 grant to help combat “zombie” properties in the community.
The funding was announced Tuesday in a press release from state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, as part of his Zombie Remediation and Prevention Initiative. His office is handing out nearly $13 million to 76 towns, cities and villages to support their efforts to address zombie properties, the name given to vacant and abandoned homes that are not maintained during the foreclosure process.
“These grants will help rebuild, revitalize, and stabilize communities across the state,” Schneiderman said in the press release.
Village Community Development Director Jeremy Evans said the funding will allow the village to expand the workload of a part-time code enforcement officer from roughly 10 to 20 hours a week, to pay for legal costs associated with code enforcement efforts, and to create a full inventory of zombie properties in the community.
Evans also said the village will direct people to mortgage assistance programs run by the Housing Assistance Program of Essex County that are designed to keep homeowners out of foreclosure and in their homes.
“We’re very excited because this will accelerate or amplify the efforts and the investment the village board has already made,” Evans said. “Specifically, the board has made it possible for us to have specialized legal services related to code enforcement and zoning, and they budgeted for a part time code-enforcement officer/building inspector. The board had already done that through the current budget. This is a way to build upon that.”
Saranac Lake is one of three area communities that were awarded funding through the AG’s zombie initiative. The village of Malone and town of Ticonderoga also won $75,000 grants.
The grant fund was established in July with funds drawn from a $3.2 billion settlement agreement Schneiderman negotiated with Morgan Stanley over its alleged deceptive practices leading up to the 2008 financial crisis.
Earlier this year, the state Legislature approved the Abandoned Property Neighborhood Relief Act, a bill Schneiderman wrote. Among other provisions, it requires banks to register any properties abandoned by their owners with the Department of Financial Services and to maintain those properties during the foreclosure process. Banks can be fined for non-compliance. The state will share the registry with local municipalities and will run a toll-free hotline for individuals to report such properties.
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