By Stan Welch
The Neighborhood Improvement Program, a one time program funded by the South Carolina Housing Authority, has expired in Anderson County, and has resulted in seven decrepit homes being demolished in Williamston and four demolished in Pelzer.
Anderson County’s Steve Newton, who largely administered the program, touted its success, saying that a number of homes were also demolished in other parts of the county as well. “Thanks to this one time program we have been able to remove a number of decrepit homes that were unfit for habitation, and have also freed up some properties for a better, more productive use.”
Newton reiterated that the county is dedicated to such improvement efforts, and continues to seek additional grant programs designed to fund such efforts. The county also has its own program that identifies such derelict properties and notifies the owners that their properties no longer comply with county codes.
If the owners fail to either improve or demolish the houses, the county does so and places a lien on the properties to cover the costs of the demolition. That program has also removed dozens of derelict homes in various communities, and will continue.
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