Portman Introduces Amendment to Senate Budget Resolution to Prioritize Demolishing Vacant and Abandoned Homes

WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 26, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Today, U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio), a member of the Senate Budget and Finance Committees, proposed an amendment to the Senate Budget Resolution that would create a deficit-neutral reserve fund for legislation that would aid in demolishing vacant and abandoned homes.

“Main Streets across our country have unfortunately become littered with abandoned and blighted properties. In the state of Ohio, there are about 80,000 of these dangerous abandoned homes, which I’ve seen firsthand,” said Portman. “This amendment calls for prioritizing an important issue for cities and towns across our country, especially areas that were hardest hit by the housing crisis.”

Portman offered the amendment on the Senate floor earlier today. Video can be found here.

Text of the amendment can be found here.

In 2013, Portman introduced the Neighborhood Safety Act, which was supported by bipartisan Ohio Mayorsand by Democrat and Republican Members of Congress, including Representatives David Joyce (R-OH-14), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-9), Marcia Fudge (D-OH-11), and Tim Ryan (D-OH-13). This bill would allow municipalities and land banks to tap into of Hardest Hit Funds to demolish vacant structures, which pose a growing threat to the public safety and economic well-being of our communities. Following the push from Portman and others, the U.S. Department of Treasury allows use of these funds for demolition. Portman has worked with local Ohio officials on these issues including visits to impacted neighborhoods in Lima, Warren, and Toledo.