A recent report in the Times-Picayune discusses efforts to address abandoned properties due to Hurricane Katrina.

Jeff asks residents to alert it to blight
Flood-ravaged homes should be boarded up

Starting today, the Jefferson Parish code enforcement department will log complaints aimed at home or business owners who have not secured their property since Katrina and have allowed their structure or yard to deteriorate.

When a complaint is filed about a particular address, the Department of Inspection and Code Enforcement will send an inspector and possibly issue a notice to the owner to gut and board up the property. If the owner does not comply by September, the parish could begin issuing citations.

To report storm-related blight, residents may call (504) 736-8380. That phone line will remain active as long as there are properties that remain in serious disrepair.

The amount of time to comply with a notice will vary with each owner, depending on whether he or she has moved out of the area and whether several owners must be notified.

Louis Savoye, the director of inspection and code enforcement, has said the parish is trying to be sympathetic to owners in dire straits while protecting the integrity of neighborhoods that are recovering save for one or two untouched properties.

To view the online article please click on the following link

Jefferson Parish Blight