Macon Area Habitat for Humanity "Blight Out of Sight" Campaign

Harold Tessendorf, Macon Area Habitat for Humanity Executive Director announced today that Macon Area Habitat for Humanity is launching its “Blight out of Sight” Campaign in Lynmore Estates neighborhood with the demolition of two condemned homes. The “Blight Out of Sight” Campaign will kick off on Thursday, February 6th, 2014 at 9:30 a.m. with a brief press conference, followed by the demolition of 570 Carmen Place and then 722 Shi Place.

A blighted property is defined as any vacant or abandoned property with the following characteristics: unfit for human habitation, a public nuisance, and/or structurally unsound with imminent danger of vagrants. Currently, there are 118 blighted properties located throughout the Lynmore Estates neighborhood. These were identified during a windshield survey conducted by neighborhood youth, Mercer service-learning students and Macon Area Habitat for Humanity. The “Blight Out of Sight” campaign will begin to address and demolish some of these properties. Without intervention, blight can devastate neighborhoods by reducing property values by 2.9% while inviting crime and arson to these areas.

Macon Area Habitat for Humanity has joined forces with Innovative Fiber Technologies (IFT), a local contractor for Cox Communications, to demolish these two blighted houses in Lynmore Estates. “We are going to start with these two, but I would be more than happy to knock down all 118 blighted houses. Just tell me when,” said James Menke, owner of IFT and also a Macon Area Habitat for Humanity Board member.

“For the Blight Out of Sight Campaign to be effective, it will take the efforts of the whole community. Today’s announcement is the result of true collaboration between Macon Area Habitat for Humanity, Innovative Fiber Technologies, Macon-Bibb Government and our Lynmore Estates residents. We all have the common goal of improving the quality of life in Lynmore Estates and our wider Macon-Bibb community.”

Join us, Thursday, February 6th at 9:30 and witness the live demolish of these properties. Press & Media please contact, Nikki Porcher (478) 550-8123 or e-mail, nporcher@maconhabitat.org