SLIDELL, La. - Nearly five years after Katrina, St. Tammany work crews began the latest phase of home demolitions, tearing down the home at 219 Tiffany St., in the Kingspoint subdivision in Slidell Tuesday morning.
"It's great to see it go away and it kind of helps the street look a lot better too," Royce Taylor said. Taylor lives on Tiffany Street.
The demolition work began around 9:40am, with a trackhoe ripping apart the roof and walls. In the afternoon, workers picked up and hauled off debris from the home.
"It's been quite an ordeal for the neighborhood here," said Sonny Bourgeois, who lives next door. "The rodents, and just the way it's eroded property values. It's long, long overdue."
"We've had snakes," Royce Taylor added. "We've had rat infestations, and it's one of many, there's probably another half dozen homes in the neighborhood that probably could be dropped too."
Parish President Kevin Davis said Tuesday, St. Tammany had torn down roughly 500 damaged and abandoned homes since Katrina.
The ones remaining, including the home on Tiffany Street, are the legally complicated homes, which is why many still stand nearly five years after Katrina.
"I realized about year number two, because of the legal complications, that it was going to take awhile," Davis said. "And it's unfortunate. I apologize, but it's the process we have to go through."
A crowd of spectators gathered to watch Tuesday's demolition, which only took around 30 minutes to complete.
"It's awesome," Cynthia Canipe said. Canipe also lives in the Kingspoint subdivision. "It's nice to see an eyesore like that coming down. It's going to help us feel a little more safe. Better neighborhood for the kids."
HUD is picking up the tab for the current wave of home demolitions. The cost is $44,000. The contractor for the project is Stranco.
