FAST FACTS
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(MEMPHIS - 11/19/2009) Everyone agrees blight is a major problem in Memphis. To the neighbors of these places we're about to show, these are more than broken buildings, they're broken promises.
A chain link fence as an unlikely front door, leads to a dirty mattress stacked with children's toys.
It's not the kind of "Home Sweet Home" you'd want in your neighborhood. But it belongs to you, the tax-payer. It's owned by the City of Memphis.
Kimberly McCollum works just down the street from the old desoto hardware factory on Dudley. It burned back in July 2008. She says, it's been a problem ever since.
"It's not important to them," McCollum said. "The holes in the fence have been here all summer long. they've been reported a couple of times. I know for a fact, because I reported them," McCollum said.
The On Your Side Investigators have reported the broken fences too. In May, we shed light on city-owned blight, and Memphis Housing Authority officials like Mike Swindle promised change.
"It's something that needs to be done, it's something we're going to do," Swindle said.
But six months later, we found more holes in the fence, a side door that's wide open, and clear evidence that vagrants are living inside.
That's not the only city-owned property left in disrepair.
Manassas High School student, senior Perry Varner, walks by his old school everyday.
"It was old when I got there, but I thought it was still in great shape compared to other schools," Varner said.
Now, less than two years later, Varner says it's changed.
"The funnest times I had in my school days were here. Just to see it look like that, makes me mad," Varner said.
Investigative Reporter Keli Rabon took a closer look inside Manassas High, walking into this city-owned property through the school's front door just as the NC3 Investigators did in May.
Inside, the Investigators found trashed hallways, littered by scavengers in search of copper. The school's cafeteria was dirty and destroyed, littered with beer bottles and ceiling tiles.
"Unless you have guards on every fence, every post 24 hours, people move in and take out stuff they think is valuable. That's just the way it is," Swindle said in the May interview.
Back in May, Swindle said the city hopes to someday turn the school into a police precinct -- it's unclear when that will happen.
The Wharton Administration declined an on-camera interview about these blighted areas. But in an email, the city says the warehouse on Dudley will cost $2.5 million to tear down, but the city has only secured $50,000 so far.
"They've cited budgetary issues, but I think theres always room in a budget for things you want to get done," McCollum said.
McCollum says she's tired of excuses, and city action on these over-looked lots is over-due.
"This just holds us back, it holds us back," she said.
During his campaign, Mayor Wharton said blight was the number one complaint he heard from citizens -- even more than crime -- and he vowed to attack the problem.
The residents we talked to said, they hope Wharton follows through on those promises and cleaning up the city's own properties would be a good start.
- Two properties owned by the Memphis Housing Authority are in deplorable condition.
- The On Your Side Investigators shed light on these properties in May, but nothing has been done to secure or improve the blight.
- The Wharton Administration refused to comment on camera about the properties, despite a campaign promise to fight blight.
Facebook - WREG On Your Side Investigators
Twitter - @nc3investigates
(MEMPHIS - 11/19/2009) Everyone agrees blight is a major problem in Memphis. To the neighbors of these places we're about to show, these are more than broken buildings, they're broken promises.
A chain link fence as an unlikely front door, leads to a dirty mattress stacked with children's toys.
It's not the kind of "Home Sweet Home" you'd want in your neighborhood. But it belongs to you, the tax-payer. It's owned by the City of Memphis.
Kimberly McCollum works just down the street from the old desoto hardware factory on Dudley. It burned back in July 2008. She says, it's been a problem ever since.
"It's not important to them," McCollum said. "The holes in the fence have been here all summer long. they've been reported a couple of times. I know for a fact, because I reported them," McCollum said.
The On Your Side Investigators have reported the broken fences too. In May, we shed light on city-owned blight, and Memphis Housing Authority officials like Mike Swindle promised change.
"It's something that needs to be done, it's something we're going to do," Swindle said.
But six months later, we found more holes in the fence, a side door that's wide open, and clear evidence that vagrants are living inside.
That's not the only city-owned property left in disrepair.
Manassas High School student, senior Perry Varner, walks by his old school everyday.
"It was old when I got there, but I thought it was still in great shape compared to other schools," Varner said.
Now, less than two years later, Varner says it's changed.
"The funnest times I had in my school days were here. Just to see it look like that, makes me mad," Varner said.
Investigative Reporter Keli Rabon took a closer look inside Manassas High, walking into this city-owned property through the school's front door just as the NC3 Investigators did in May.
Inside, the Investigators found trashed hallways, littered by scavengers in search of copper. The school's cafeteria was dirty and destroyed, littered with beer bottles and ceiling tiles.
"Unless you have guards on every fence, every post 24 hours, people move in and take out stuff they think is valuable. That's just the way it is," Swindle said in the May interview.
Back in May, Swindle said the city hopes to someday turn the school into a police precinct -- it's unclear when that will happen.
The Wharton Administration declined an on-camera interview about these blighted areas. But in an email, the city says the warehouse on Dudley will cost $2.5 million to tear down, but the city has only secured $50,000 so far.
"They've cited budgetary issues, but I think theres always room in a budget for things you want to get done," McCollum said.
McCollum says she's tired of excuses, and city action on these over-looked lots is over-due.
"This just holds us back, it holds us back," she said.
During his campaign, Mayor Wharton said blight was the number one complaint he heard from citizens -- even more than crime -- and he vowed to attack the problem.
The residents we talked to said, they hope Wharton follows through on those promises and cleaning up the city's own properties would be a good start.
