Attorney General DeWine Praises Efforts of City of Mansfield, Richland County to Demolish Abandoned Properties

MANSFIELD, OH – February 4, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today joined Mansfield Mayor Tim Theaker and several other Richland County officials at the demolition of an abandoned house made possible by a grant from his Demolition Grant Program. The property at 102 Raymond Avenue in Mansfield is one of many properties in Ohio that have been demolished through efforts by local communities and the Attorney General’s Demolition Grant Program.

“The City of Mansfield and Richland County have been proactive leaders in taking back their communities from the rot and blight caused by abandoned houses,” said Attorney General DeWine. “As we approach the one-year anniversary of the National Mortgage Settlement, I am pleased that so many communities across Ohio have taken advantage of the Demolition Grant Program.”

Attorney General DeWine created the Demolition Grant Program last year and visited the Richmond Avenue property with Mayor Theaker when he announced the program. The Demolition Grant Program helps stabilize and improve communities by removing blighted and abandoned homes with funds from the national mortgage settlement reached in February 2012. While an exact total of abandoned homes is not available, conservative estimates place the number of vacant and abandoned properties in Ohio in need of immediate demolition at 100,000.

The Ohio Attorney General’s office made $75 million from the settlement available statewide for demolition grants. In Richland County, where DeWine attended the demolition today, the county received its full allocation of $741,454.

DeWine will continue to travel to other demolition sites around Ohio to highlight the importance of this program and as other allocations are made in future grant periods.

“By smartly maximizing local resources with funds from the national foreclosure settlement, the Demolition Grant Program can help remedy a significant portion of the damage caused to Ohio neighborhoods and property owners by the foreclosure crisis,” said DeWine.

Media Contacts
Dan Tierney: 614-466-3840
Lisa Hackley: 614-466-3840