Process could take more than 20 years, report says.
Cleveland Councilman Tony Brancatelli traveled to Washington D.C., urging leaders to dramatically increase federal funding for home demolitions.
Brancatelli issued an eight-page report to U.S. Treasury officials that indicates it could take Cleveland 22 years and $4.5 billion to take down the condemned homes that need to come down, if additional funding isn’t found.
“When you look at what it costs to board-up a home, what it costs to cut the lawns and maintain them, that’s when you see the skyrocketing costs go up,” said Brancatelli.
Brancatelli told NewsChannel5 it costs an average of $10,000 to take down a condemned home, and with the city’s current budget, it can only take down about 600 houses a year.
“We need to take down these abandoned homes more quickly, so we can save millions in tax dollars, and restore property values,” Brancatelli said. “We need to make sure this issue gets involved in both Presidential campaigns, and so far, we have not heard much about the housing debate out of either side.”
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