5.0 HRSR 12-01-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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o Building official inspecting homes to get counts of abandonment including lawn maintenance, snow removal and resident complaints. o Vacated homes and delinquent payments on water and utility bills, forcing service shut-offs. ^ .Local city staff have varying degrees of experience in the administration of CDBG funds from little to no experience to past administrative experience. ^ Additional Building Officials might be necessary in some communities, but in general new staffing needs have not been identified as a local priority. ^ Communities need assistance identifying the name and contact of property owner/lender data. In abandoned, straw buyer homes with non-local lenders, calls are frequently not returned. ^ Sheriff sales/County level data not always available, up to date or complete due to increased volume making it difficult to track concentrations and monitor impacts. COMMUNITY SUMMARIES Isanti (55040) ^ 203 properties in foreclosure. 74 occupied. 67 vacant, 49 empty lots, 2 -status unknown and I I outlots as of 11.19.08. ^ 32 partially constructed homes city-wide. ^ Approximately 20 foreclosed homes in historic core neighborhood. ^ Others in newer sub-divisions including Villages on the Rum all Additions /Phases where 60 of 315 platted in foreclosure, including 25 half built homes and Isanti Hills all phases where 26 of 63 final platted in foreclosure. ^ Have seen copper stripping, homes filled with mold, homes that have been left in a horrible state of disarray with carpets being soiled, walls destroyed, appliances left with decomposing food, items left from living in the structures, face plates, lighting. Some homes were not finished. ^ Vacancies increasing a lot in past 3 weeks. ^ City Staff started meeting on a frequent basis on the foreclosure situation in early 2008. Group convenes every 2 weeks -City Administrator, Finance Director, CDD, Planner, Building Official, Chief of Police, Community Officer, and City Attorney. Staff monitoring the properties by visiting the County Recorders office periodically to address properties that are in foreclosure and where in the stage of foreclosure. Information is brought to larger team that works on securing the properties, patrolling to prevent blight and vandalism, mowing of the properties (now snow removal), and trying to find ownership in matters related to'the properties. ^ Communicating with owner/lender is very challenging. Getting information from County is one step, then trying to find actual person to contact and have calls returned often takes more than a month if call are ever returned. Difference in very responsive local bank -Community Pride Bank. ^ Publishing information and resources through community newsletter and website ^ Best policing has come from concerned neighbors interested in preserving homes. ^ .City staff does have past CDBG administration experience. Big Lake (55309) ^ 159 total foreclosures to date in 2008 (up from 150 in all of 2007). ^ Foreclosures are spread throughout 8 neighborhoods in town. The average price of homes in these neighborhoods is estimated to be around $189,000.