NEW ORLEANS - According to one recent survey, there are more than 60,000 blighted or abandoned properties in New Orleans.
Even in places like Lakeview where the hurricane recovery is robust, there are still houses sitting in limbo on just about every block, reminding neighbors much work still needs to be done.
"I think that there needs to be some sort of process that pushes people to make a change," said Lakeview neighbor Nichole Dehon. "There's not one. It's just status quo."
State Representative Nick Lorusso from from Lakeview is pushing a bill in the upcoming legislative session, creating a special Housing and Environmental Division in New Orleans Municipal Court.
Property owners would have to appear before the so-called "blight-court" when they are cited by the city for various public health, housing and other safety code violations.
Mayor-elect Mitch Landrieu stopped short of endorsing the plan, but says similar courts are fighting blight in other jurisdictions.
"There is a blight court in Jefferson Parish," said Landrieu. "Judge Steve Windhorst actually sits over that court. They have made great progress with doing it. That is certainly a mechanism that we would look to."
Landrieu says he's not sure Municipal Court is the right place for environmental cases.
"We would certainly have to ask the judges of Civil District Court, judges of Criminal Court and Municipal Court about where the best place for it is, but the idea of having a place where you can resolve the issues quickly is obviously something that is very attractive," said Landrieu.
Whether it's an environmental court or some other method, Lakeview neighbors are looking for accountability. They want the city to find a way to force people who own blighted homes to either tear them down or find some way to put them back into commerce.
"If you're not going to come back, fine, sell the property, do something, but don't leave it for the rest of us who did come back to look at and to deal with all the hazards that go with a blighted property," said Lakeview neighbor Suzanne Wirth.
Lawmakers head to Baton Rouge, March 29.
