Lafayette steps up blight fight
LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) - Lafayette city-parish government has condemned about three abandoned and dilapidated homes a month over the past year under a new initiative dubbed "Operation Blight Out."
The condemnation process, which must be approved by the City-Parish Council, clears the way for a house to be demolished.
Since Jan. 1, 27 homes have been condemned, and another 22 homes are targeted for possible condemnation if the owners don't fix or demolish the structures themselves.
Councilman Kenneth Boudreaux tells The Advocate abandoned houses are a critical problem in some areas of the city, posing a safety hazard as well as attracting transients or illicit activity.
Boudreaux said one the benefits of aggressively pursuing condemnation of abandoned homes is that it has prompted property owners to take care of the problems themselves.
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