A drive-by glance at the tiny home at 1002 E. Seventh Ave. in Kennewick shows a sore spot for the neighborhood.
What used to be a front lawn died of thirst long ago, leaving only patches of weeds and bare dirt. A camper and two trailers with busted-out windows rest in the backyard. A rickety rail fence and spindly rose bushes capture trash that blows in on the wind, and every window and door on the 806 square-foot house is boarded up to keep out trespassers.
The last owner-occupant walked away from the property more than a year ago, after not paying property taxes for several years and being told the house was unfit to live in.
The building is scheduled to soon be torn down, but it's not going to be a story of failure. Instead, Kennewick officials hope it will be the first of many success stories in a new program to buy derelict properties and replace them with new modest-priced homes to fight neighborhood blight.
Carol Evans, city economic development specialist, said the property was purchased in November for $30,000 after the homeowner, Daria R. Hernandez, could not afford to maintain and keep it.
"She wanted to get out from under the liens," Evans said, noting there also were 27 code violations and 17 conditions bad enough to condemn the house.
Those problems included exposed wiring, blocked doors and windows, rotted floor supports under the bathroom, an open sewer line and no toilet.
The city is using $185,000 obtained in 2007 through federal Housing and Urban Development's HOME program to replace the home.
Evans said the money will pay for demolition of the residence and to build a new house that will be sold to a low- to middle-income family that is qualified to buy it.
The new house, which will be built by a licensed contractor and financed through a mortgage company, will have three bedrooms, two bathrooms and be 1,500 square feet in size.
The city plans to use the money from selling the new home to repeat the process on another blighted residential property, Evans said.
Kennewick has used HOME money since 2000 to help about 200 qualified families with down payments to buy homes, and to help some homeowners rehabilitate their houses.
Kevin Ferguson, assistant city manager, said this first-of-its-kind project in Kennewick is considered an in-fill program. The intent is to find homes that must be condemned and torn down, and then use HUD money to build new affordable housing on the subsequently vacant property for low- to middle-income buyers.
Ferguson said the goal is to increase decent, safe and sanitary affordable housing in the city.
The city council agreed a year ago to apply for a HOME grant that includes the in-fill program as one alternative.
"This in-fill project allows a low- to moderate-income person the opportunity to purchase a home, and it cleans up the neighborhood, removing an eyesore and blight," said Ferguson in a report to the city council.
Removing the home at 1002 E. Seventh Ave. presents another opportunity for the city.
After asbestos-laden materials are removed by a special contractor, the Kennewick Fire Department will use it for training. By filling the building with artificial smoke, firefighters will be able to practice working in confined, smoke-filled areas and learn how to best use their specialized equipment for locating people and hot spots.
Those exercises not only help make better firefighters, but also can help the city fulfill a 25 percent match on the HOME grant. The dollar value associated with the training can be applied toward the requirement, Ferguson explained in his report to the city council.
Evans said the neighborhood where the house sits already has seen city dollars invested for improvements. HUD money helped build curbs, gutters and sidewalks a few years ago, she said.
"A neighborhood like this can transition badly, or transition well," said Evans.
The city hopes that by stepping in to do an extreme makeover on one property, it can make the neighborhood turn in the right direction.
Darlene Partida, who is Kennewick's housing specialist, said it will take about two weeks for a hazardous materials abatement contractor to remove asbestos from the building. After that is completed, the city will call for bids to demolish the home.
Partida said if all goes as planned, the property should be cleared by the end of April, just in time to find a contractor to build the new home later this year.
Neighbors will be happy to see something done about the unkempt property.
"It's been quite an eyesore for quite a few years. I'm pleased, and I'm sure this whole neighborhood will be glad (to see the house torn down)," said Dione Buell, who has lived next door at 1006 E. Seventh Ave. for 20 years.
"There were a lot of problems at that house," Buell said.
Kennewick police know the address well.
Police Chief Ken Hohenberg told the city council that his officers responded to more than 100 calls at the address in the past year because of various complaints.
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