The effort to deal firmly with the problem of blighted properties in Northumberland County is under way with several new initiatives. Six blighted properties in Mount Carmel Borough were recently demolished by the Housing Authority of Northumberland County with the assistance from the Housing Development Corporation of Northumberland County and UNB Bank, Mount Carmel. The bank made a generous contribution toward the project in exchange for state tax credits. Businesses that are interested in learning more about the state tax credit program are encouraged to attend a meeting at the Edison Hotel in Sunbury at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 30. Please RSVP to Ed Christiano at ed_christiano@hotmail.com or (570)742-8797 by Friday, July 19.
Another exciting development is the release of $200,000 in county Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and county housing trust funds for addressing blighted properties. Municipalities will receive these funds to demolish or rehabilitate blighted properties. Preference will be given to blighted properties that are located along gateway streets in and out of the community or corner properties. Properties that are on the county repository of unsold tax delinquent properties or those that pose a major health and safety problem will also receive priority. The properties must be vacant and the community must be agreeable to implementing the provisions of Act 90 of 2010. This state law gives municipalities the ability to deny permits, including rental housing licenses to owners of blighted properties, and to place liens on all properties owned by the owner of the blighted property for costs incurred by the municipalities in dealing with the blighted property.
Finally, an application for $500,000 in funding through the PA Department of Community and Economic Development is pending. If approved, these funds would also be provided to the five municipalities that have committed portions of their Community Development Block Grant funds as a local match. These municipalities are the City of Shamokin, City of Sunbury, Ralpho Township, Coal Township and Mount Carmel Borough.
The various initiatives for addressing blighted properties described above are part of a comprehensive, coordinated approach taken by Northumberland County, in partnership with municipalities and the private sector.
(Edward P. Christiano is executive director of the Housing Authority of Northumberland County and also serves as secretary of the Brush Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce.)