City gets grant to deal with ‘zombie’ properties

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. >> City officials hope a $150,000 state grant will boost efforts to counter so-called “zombie” properties — those that are vacant or have been abandoned by owners.

The grant is from the New York State Housing Stabilization Funds Zombie and Vacant Properties Remediation and Prevention initiative.

City Administrator Deborah McDonnell told the Common Council Monday evening that the grant is an opportunity “to hire some part-time people over the next two years to create a database that we can begin to use for our vacant, abandoned, our burned out buildings.”

The grant also would pay for required software.

McDonnell said another benefit would go to at-risk homeowners.

“An opportunity to do outreach with folks that may be losing their properties,” McDonnell said. “I have spoken to two organizations within the city who can do this outreach and go in and help people who are on the verge of maybe losing their homes and need some help. We can help them through that.”

Related to that is a proposed local law that would allow the city to place a lien on insurance proceeds following a fire. Corporation Counsel Paul Ackerman said this would pertain if an owner does not restore the property.

“This would help to ensure that those properties damaged by fire are restored to the condition that they were in prior to the fire,” he said.

Ackerman said there have been instances of owners simply pocketing the insurance money and walking away.

A public hearing on the local law is scheduled for April 17, prior to the next council meeting.