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Butler County outlines post-foreclosure assistance, laments lack of pre-
Butler County officials outlined last week how $8.7 million in federal dollars can aid local neighborhoods impacted by the ongoing housing crisis.
The funds are part of the recently passed Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, which includes $2.4 million for Hamilton, $2.1 million for Middletown, and $4.2 million for the rest of Butler County.
This is good news and bad news, Butler County Community Development Director Donna Everson told county commissioners Thursday, Oct. 2, saying the dollar amount is based on how many homes in the county have experienced or are facing foreclosures.
“It’s based on the fact that we have enough that we’re getting $4.2 million to address it,” Everson said.
The money, she explained, can be used to purchase foreclosed homes, fix them up and sell them. The county can also use it to demolish or fix up blighted and abandoned homes, or establish land banks for homes that have been foreclosed upon.
The county has 18 months to develop a plan for the money, and will schedule a meeting to get public input.
“We need to find where all these homes are in the county and then develop a course of action,” Everson said.
Hamilton and Middletown officials are going through the same process.
County commissioners praised the federal relief, but lamented that it seemed more aimed at fixing areas already hurt than preventing more damage.
“This is sort of after the fact,” said Commissioner Donald Dixon. “We really need to intervene before they get foreclosed upon.”
Commissioner Gregory Jolivette asked if the county could put a freeze on the foreclosure process until the county had a plan to deal with it.
Everson said she is looking into Dixon’s and Jolivette’s concerns.
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Comments
By gunner
October 10, 2008 1:02 PM | Link to this
What? I thought the bill that passed, the home owner rescue act was to help those of us who are in trouble because of outsourced jobs, not make communities wealthy, thanks Don and Greg for trying to stand up for us.