Dealing with blighted homes in CT’s poorer cities

It’s probably not a big surprise that Connecticut’s less wealthy cities have a greater problem with blighted homes than some other communities. But Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch made a point of raising the economic issues in this story about a new plan to shame owners of falling-apart homes.

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Finch says dealing with houses like this is particularly a problem in low income areas like Bridgeport because property values are lower.

“So people sort of just write their property off and abandon them,” he says. “And we’re left to clean up the legal mess and the mess of the facility itself.”

And he says the courts are stacked against cities in disputes over these abandoned properties.

“The court system is knee deep in rules and regulations that protect private property and very very difficult for cities and towns to go after people who are not taking care of their property.”