Letter: Low-income families could use vacant homes
Councilman Dan Panico (center left) and Supervisor Edward Romaine (center right) look on while a comdemned home at 33 Ashwood Drive in Shirley, part of Romaine's "Dirty Dozen" list of derelict houses, is demolished by employees of the town of Brookhaven in an effort to help clean up the neighborhood and rid it of such unsafe structures, March 12, 2015. Credit: Daniel Brennan
Two Newsday stories on March 24 reported on Long Island's housing crisis.
"Taking it to the bank" explained that municipalities want banks that own foreclosed homes to maintain the vacant structures.
"Hearing tomorrow on housing project" said the nonprofit organization Concern for Independent Living seeks to build housing in Middle Island for veterans.
Here's an idea: Connect Concern for Independent Living with the banks that own the foreclosures. It would be a marriage made in heaven. Blighted properties could be cleaned up by local construction workers, which would be awesome for the local economy, and low-income families could move in.
This would be a win-win for communities that suffer when a house goes vacant, and for families which would receive low-income housing in established communities.
Banks need to stop holding communities with blighted properties hostage because they are waiting to sell a property for its earlier purchase price. That ship has sailed.
Lauren Carmichael, Coram
