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JAMESTOWN – Leaders in Jamestown are stepping up the fight against zombie properties which have become a growing problem for various neighborhoods citywide.
During a press conference on Tuesday morning, city officials announced that through funding available from the New York State Attorney General’s Office the municipality has been working on taking owners of these properties to court in order to clean up blight.
As of now, 12 properties will be acquired through a legal process called 19A and seven through what is known as a zombie lawsuit.
In the end, the city Director of Development hopes to get the properties in the hands of prospective homeowners.
“We often see some of the properties tend to be more rental, so creating that homeownership and giving opportunities for homeownership is the end goal,” explained Jamestown Director of Development Crystal Surdyk.
The city will also allocate funding to help potential homeowners rehab a house, rather than have them demolished.
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