The City of Jennings' plan to clear blight and provide more affordable housing is moving forward. It's a partnership that spans from working with developers to working with demolition crews, and it's leading to revitalization across the city.
When you pull into your driveway every night, who wants to look across the road and see blight from your front porch?
"These eyesores bring down the visuals and the aesthetics of the neighborhood,” Mayor Gary Johnson said.
It’s why he’s on a crusade. The city is taking ownership of homes that have fallen by the wayside.
"They have owners that live out of town, that are deceased and did not pass the properties on to relatives properly
so they're now just sitting derelict,” Johnson explained. That's when Jennings obtains the tax certificates from St. Louis County. "Gives us site control, gives us control of the process."
From there, the city can choose to tear down the eyesores. Last year, the city demolished two dozen homes. By the end of this year, another 19 are expected to come down.
There's a purpose in the process. Getting rid of the old makes way for the new and improved. Abandoned properties that can still be salvaged are sold to developers at a low cost to get them up to par. They're then sold to homebuyers at an affordable cost.
Add to that, an effort to recruit other developers to build brand-new affordable homes. Back in October, Jennings unveiled 31 new properties in the city's 4th ward.
"Having that stable community, having a stable group of folks in that community, drives a community so homeownership is an economic driver…It’s all part of the steps that we’re going to take to make Jennings great again,” Johnson said.
When the city sells salvageable homes to developers, that money funds the demolition of homes that can't be repaired.
Jennings is spending more than $270,000 for this month's demolition. The mayor said demolition efforts will continue in the new year.