Lavonta Williams: Bill provides one more tool to address blight

I want to correct some misinformation about Senate Bill 338 regarding the rehabilitation of abandoned properties in cities. The city of Wichita has not “bulldozed hundreds of houses for housing code violations” over the past few years (“Veto this bill,” March 28 Letters to the Editor). In fact, the city only demolishes a house as a last resort, averaging only 13 per year in the past four years – a little more than one per month.

This bill is not a push to take anyone’s house or land. It is a tool to accomplish rehabilitation, while protecting property rights. In fact, multiple amendments offered by Americans for Prosperity are now incorporated in the bill.

Blight is a problem that impacts many, including those who live nearby. Wichita still has an estimated 17,600 vacant properties. There are open cases on 165 neglected properties, along with more than 2,000 housing cases and 7,000 nuisance cases.

Available tools are already at work. Residents notify City Hall when blight develops in their neighborhoods. The Wichita City Council has worked tirelessly to address blight for more than a decade by strengthening blight-related ordinances and partnering with local groups (Habitat for Humanity, Love Wichita, Mennonite Housing, Power CDC and the Wichita Area Association of Realtors) to maintain healthy and desirable neighborhoods. We cite property owners in violation of building codes, make multiple attempts to contact owners who have abandoned their properties (more than half of certified mail notices are returned unclaimed), and connect them to resources that may help them achieve compliance if they are willing but unable to do so on their own.

More is needed. By assisting community partners to rehabilitate abandoned properties that are having a detrimental effect on the surrounding area, we can decrease the number of blighted properties and revive distressed communities more quickly.

This bill is not a cure-all, but would serve as a valuable tool to help Wichita and municipalities across the state address one aspect of the large problem of blight. We will still need strong partnerships, innovation and the support of our residents to reduce, control and – hopefully one day – eliminate blight.

This story was originally published March 31, 2016 at 7:01 PM with the headline "Lavonta Williams: Bill provides one more tool to address blight."