INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — County Building Official Scott McAdam appeared before the Board of County Commissioners Tuesday seeking approval to demolish six houses he determined are abandoned and unsafe. The cost is approximately $25,000.
He showed photos of the buildings, some damaged by fire and others with roofs falling in, and said the houses had been properly posted with condemnation orders and the property owners had been issued notices to repair or remove the structures within 60 days, and advised of their right to appeal the condemnation order.
No property owners showed up to protest condemnation but Althea McKenzie, a Gifford community activist and former candidate for School Board, questioned the ratio of condemnations in Gifford compared to the rest of the county.
“Four of the six houses are in Gifford,” said McKenzie. She went on to point out what she said is a lack of county assistance for low-income homeowners that might save them from having their homes condemned and save the county the cost of tearing the houses down.
She said that eight of 22 homes on a longer list of properties being considered for condemnation are in Gifford. That amounts to approximately 36 percent of condemnations in an area that contains only about five percent of the county’s population.
McKenzie said some of the Gifford structures targeted for condemnation have historical value, including the house at 4380 38th Ave. where Jackie Robinson stayed during spring training in the early days of Dodgertown when he was not allowed to bunk with his white teammates.
“You can’t have it both ways,” she said, “using Jackie Robinson to promote Historic Dodgertown [while ignoring the historic significance of the home where he stayed].”
Gifford is a predominantly black community in a predominantly white county and while McKenzie did not directly allege racial discrimination on the part of the building department or County Commission, she made it clear she felt there is some inequity in housing assistance programs and the selection of houses for condemnation.
McAdam said after the meeting that four of the six houses he presented for condemnation today are, in fact, in Gifford, as McKenzie noted.
“That is just the way it worked out this time,” he said.
County Administrator Joe Baird told McKenzie there are a number of housing assistance programs available to county residents, including those in Gifford. McKenzie said she was aware of some programs but that they were only short-term and periodic, providing assistance residents can access once a year or once in 18 months.
Baird said ongoing monthly assistance also is available for low-income residents and offered to provide information to McKenzie about the program.
McKenzie said she would like to see the information and gave details of a comprehensive housing assistance program in Riviera Beach she said works well and would like to see adopted in Indian River County.
She said she hoped commissioners would consider additional services and assistance to help low-income people stay current on property taxes and keep their homes in good repair.
