LV City Council to consider future of abandoned homes

Sito Negron

Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2004 | 8:44 a.m.

The Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday will consider ways to put teeth into efforts to turn abandoned homes into affordable housing.

New Neighborhood Services Director Orlando Sanchez said his office counts about 110 vacant homes in "various stages of disrepair," with more than half the total in wards 3 and 5.

Councilman Lawrence Weekly, who represents the Ward 5 residents, said he's interested to hear the discussion.

"To leave it vacant and abandoned, with no upkeep -- that definitely deteriorates a neighborhood. I want the property owners and the property dealt with accordingly," he said. "I'm asking there be a specific timeline that are put on these properties if (the owners) don't do anything."

Sanchez said his department is recommending a plan to better identify and follow up on reports, create nonprofit groups to renovate housing -- either through neighborhoods, or within the city government itself -- and work toward a legislative change in 2005 that would allow the city to place property in a trust if the owners do not respond to repair requests.

"This is all depending on direction we get from mayor and council," Sanchez said.

He said the city currently has an annual fee of $250 that can be charged to homeowners who do not at least board up their own abandoned property. The difficulty is that often, when homeowners leave a property behind, they cannot be located.

Weekly said it's a matter of neighborliness.

"If a property owner is going to keep a home, at least have some respect and courtesy for the neighborhood," he said. "Don't just let it sit there and deteriorate."