Mount Vernon Kicks Off New Zombie Home Initiative

MOUNT VERNON, NY — The Mount Vernon Department of Planning and Community Development hosted the City’s Zombie Initiative Kickoff Ceremony Thursday in front of 15 St. Paul’s Place. City officials unveiled a new plan to formally address urban blight with a focus on abandoned, bank-owned homes.

The Zombie Home Initiative is sponsored by the New York State Attorney General’s Office, the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (“LISC”) and Cities for Responsible Investment and Strategic Enforcement (“CITIES Rise”).

It builds on other initiatives from 2017:

• Mount Vernon Takes Aim At Zombies
• Nightmare Neighbor Task Force Formed For MV Zombie Properties

Officials said this is a part of a multi-city, multi-phase joint effort to reduce blight. Grant recipients were given access to the cutting-edge software platform, Building Blocks, to identify, in real time, vacant and abandoned properties. The City will use the Building Blocks software to leverage its rights provided under New York state law to impose fines on bank owned abandoned homes up to $500.

City officials will dispatch housing inspectors daily in a joint targeted effort to compel banks to bring these homes up to code.

Additionally, as a part of this grant initiative, struggling at-risk homeowners will be provided counseling through Westchester Residential Opportunities. A national non-profit, Hester Street, has also been engaged to provide community engagement strategies to help the Mount Vernon community to realize change, officials said.

For more information please contact the Mount Vernon Department of Planning and Community Development at (914) 699-7230 or email the Zombie Home Coordinator at zombiehomecoordinator@mvzht.com.

PHOTO: A 'zombie house' on South 9th Avenue came down in July 2017./ Mount Vernon Mayor's Office