With $6 million in federal funding secured for the city’s blight remediation program, officials say visible progress is finally around the corner.
Interim Planning and Community Development Director George Irby said residents could see properties begin changing hands within weeks, and the burning question is – what took so long?
Here’s what to know about the program, where it stands now and what comes next.
What is the blight remediation program?
The blight remediation program, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is designed to address deteriorating properties. The city plans to purchase blighted structures, demolish them and then work with the Mississippi Home Corporation to build affordable housing on the cleared lots.
A property is considered blighted when it has reached a severe state of deterioration and may be considered hazardous or a threat to public safety, said Code Enforcement Officer Sasha James.
The process typically begins with code enforcement identifying potential properties. If a property owner agrees to sell, the city will buy the lot, clear it and market it for redevelopment.
In 2022, Columbus allocated $500,000 from its American Rescue Plan Act funds to launch the program. After securing $6 million in HUD grants, the city withdrew $400,000 of that ARPA funding, keeping $100,000 to cover environmental reviews and administrative costs.
Why has the program stalled?
The biggest hurdle in gaining momentum, Irby said, was red tape.
Irby pointed to delayed communication with federal grant officers who were located at the HUD office in Washington, D.C.
“One grant writer had 500 grantees they had to deal with,” Irby said. “It wasn’t like we could get an email or take a call and get a quick response.”
For months, Columbus waited for authorization from HUD to spend funds. That clearance came about three weeks ago, when HUD state offices assumed the federal office’s cases.
What has been done so far?
Waggoner Engineering completed an environmental review in December, but further steps, like selecting an attorney to handle title work, were required before purchases could proceed.
Susan Wilder, the city’s grant administrator, said bids for attorneys have been secured.
The city has identified about 322 blighted properties. Letters were sent to property owners about six months ago to gauge their interest in selling, and about 40 responded positively. Irby worked with City Attorney Jeff Turnage to collect title opinions for those properties.
Last week, the city made its first purchase offer. Irby said more are in progress.
“Next week, I hope to have at least three or four houses,” Irby said. “The way I’m going to do it, for these first ones, is to try to get one in each ward that has dilapidated houses.”
Irby is first extending offers to the 40 property owners who originally expressed interest in the program. Once a sale is agreed upon, an attorney must confirm the title is clear and check for issues like unpaid property taxes.
Once the legal work is complete, properties undergo asbestos testing before demolition begins.
What happens next?
Within the next month, residents should see several blighted properties purchased and should see demolition begin within the next two to three months.
The city will advertise for demolition contractors as soon as this week, Wilder said. That bidding process will take about two to three weeks. For vacant lots, the city plans to clear debris and overgrowth.
The city is working with the Mississippi Home Corporation to construct affordable housing on the lots with 0% interest loans for home builders. Wilder said housing redevelopment could begin within the next year.
The city’s goal is to remediate at least 200 properties, with a completion deadline of 2031.
“I’m just asking people to be patient,” Irby said. “It won’t happen overnight. We’ve got until 2031 to complete this project, and hopefully it doesn’t take that long, but at least they can start seeing progress made.”
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