Councilwoman Ellen F. Robertson to hold a Housing and Property Owner Code Violations Meeting for the Highland Park Neighborhood

RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL Richmond City Council – Richmond City Hall - 900 E. Broad Street, Suite 305 - Richmond, Virginia 23219 U.S.A. - www.council.richmondva.gov COUNCIL PUBLIC INFORMATION NEWS RELEASE IMMEDIATE RELEASE TO BE FORWARDED AND SHARED Monday, 23 February 2015 Councilwoman Ellen F. Robertson to hold a Housing and Property Owner Code Violations Meeting for the Highland Park Neighborhood All Richmond Highland Park Neighborhood and Richmond Gateway 6th Voter District residents invited and encouraged to attend WHAT (Richmond, Virginia U.S.A.) – The Honorable Ellen F. Robertson, Councilwoman, Richmond City Council, Richmond Gateway 6th Voter District, will hold a Housing and Property Owner Code Violations meeting in the Richmond Gateway 6th Voter District to discuss housing and property owner code violations in the Highland Park neighborhood. According to Robertson, homeowners in the Highland Park Neighborhood, many of whom are elderly, have expressed frustration with the City’s code enforcement practices and believe that City inspectors are “coding some neighborhoods and properties to the max” while letting long-term, vacant blighted properties exist with no enforcement. “We cannot continue to place this unjust, financial burden on our home owning residents living in Highland Park. Many are law-abiding seniors doing the best they can to keep their places up,” says Robertson. “They live on blocks where the City has allowed vacant houses to stand for up to forty years, even, without effective enforcement,” says Robertson. “Not only have these blighted properties caused serious devaluation levels in the neighborhood, but more importantly, also have become public safety issues,” says Robertson. “I’ve received complaint after complaint of a homeowner’s insurance policy going up because of fires in nearby blighted properties,” says Robertson. Robertson believes the City’s policy has a disparate impact on low income, minority homeowners within the area, and has explored alternatives in which City inspectors work cooperatively with homeowners to achieve greater code compliance, reduce the financial burden for property owners with minor code violations and eliminate blight in the area. WHEN Tuesday, February 24, 2015 6:00-7:30 p.m. WHERE Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Ann Hardy Plaza Community Center 3300 1st Avenue; Richmond, Virginia CONTACT For more information, please contact Mr. Michael Winborne, Liaison for The Honorable Ellen F. Robertson, Councilwoman, Richmond City Council, Richmond Gateway 6th Voter District, at 804.646,7964 (tel), or michael.winborne@richmondgov.com (email) - E N D -