Thirteen is Progress?

NBC 4: The City of Columbus tore down a vacant home on Dakota Avenue Wednesday morning to cheers of local residents, however it is just one small piece of a much larger puzzle. So far in 2009, the city has torn down 13 abandoned homes, but Mayor Michael Coleman says there are 5,300 of them in the city.

Not all of the homes need torn down, as some can be refurbished, but the city budget continues to shrink for abandoned home demolition, being cut by about 50 percent each year. It costs approximately $12,000 to claim a home and demolish it. By the end of the year, the city will have torn down 19 homes—that’s all the money they have.