WYSO Local News
(2009-08-27)
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DAYTON, OH
(WYSO) -
Congressman Michael Turner was in Dayton yesterday to moderate a forum on the housing crisis and its impact on the Miami Valley. The forum consisted of two panel discussions with local and national experts.
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The Congressman began the morning by looking at the facts of the housing crisis in the Miami Valley.
"There have been over 6,000 foreclosures reported throughout the counties the Third Congressional District of Ohio in 2008 showing a three-fold increase from a decade ago. Each of these foreclosures represents a family, a neighborhood or a friend who have lost their home," said Turner.
Turner said he hoped the discussions would result in ideas for new federal policies to help address the housing crisis around the nation. Local groups were asked to reflect on how federal policies were effecting their work. One discussion centered on the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, which provides federal money to demolish abandoned homes and rehab others.
Amy Redachi of Rebuilding Together Dayton said restrictions on the program have prevented it from reaching full potential.
"The whole idea of neighborhood stabilization is to keep the people in their homes. But currently Neighborhood Stabilization money is being used for demolition and after the house is foreclosed upon, after the homeowner is out of the house, to buy the house back from the bank," said Redachi.
The program doesn't allow for the rehabilitation of owner-occupied homes, and the panelists agreed that supporting rehabilitation of these homes in historic cities like Dayton could help decrease vacancies in older neighborhoods.
Congressman Turner says he will present the results of the forum to his fellow Representatives when the House reconvenes on September 8th.
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