Ottawa to apply for blight reduction grant

Visit Ottawa and you will see beautiful newer homes and carefully preserved older houses. You will also see the occasional house that looks to be destined for demolition.

Mayor Bob Eschbach is hopeful the city, working along with the local housing authority, will be eligible for a state blight reduction grant.  Eschbach says the local housing authority, Starved Rock Homes would have to take title of at least 10 blighted residential properties and the city would be responsible for much of the work to have the houses demolished or repaired.

The housing authority would receive $1,000 per property for the work and afterwards the city would be able to sell the lots.  Eschbach thinks they could they could have ten to fifteen blighted homes.

The city council Tuesday night placed on file an agreement with Starved Rock Homes.