(NEWARK, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today joined Newark Mayor Jeff Hall and other Licking County Officials at the demolition of an abandoned house made possible by a grant from his Demolition Grant Program. The property at 101 Chestnut Street in Newark is one of many properties in Ohio which have been demolished through efforts by local communities and the Attorney General's Demolition Grant Program.
"Newark and Licking County are actively taking back their communities from the rot and blight caused by abandoned houses, and their efforts are being echoed in counties across Ohio," said Attorney General DeWine.
"The funding from Attorney General DeWine's office has allowed our City to attack serious public health and safety issues that are a result of vacant and blighted properties. Demolition has allowed us to clear our neighborhoods of eyesores and create a clear path for community growth, sustainability, and quality neighborhoods," said Mayor Hall.
Attorney General DeWine created the Demolition Grant Program in February. The Demolition Grant Program helps stabilize and improve communities by removing blighted and abandoned homes with funds from the national mortgage settlement reached earlier this year. While an exact total of abandoned homes is not available, conservative estimates place the number of vacant and abandoned properties in Ohio in need of immediate demolition at 100,000.
The Ohio Attorney General's office made $75 million from the settlement available statewide for demolition grants. In Licking County, where DeWine attended the demolition today, the county's grant request of $570,000 was approved for 2012. Counties that did not apply for their full allocation can apply for additional funds in 2013. Licking County's full allocation was $1,029,355.
DeWine will continue to travel to other demolition sites around Ohio to highlight the importance of this program and as other allocations are made in future grant periods.
"By smartly maximizing local resources with funds from the national foreclosure settlement, the Attorney General's Demolition Grant Program can help remedy a significant portion of the damage caused to Ohio neighborhoods and property owners by the foreclosure crisis," said DeWine.
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