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Letter to the editor

That empty feeling

Boarded-up homes proliferate, worrying neighbors.

By CRISTINA SILVA, Times Staff Writer
Published January 20, 2008

Scott Swift is not looking to sell or buy a house, none of the properties he owns are facing foreclosure, and he isn't a Realtor.

But Swift, a Bartlett Park property owner, is still worried about the ramifications of the Tampa Bay area's sluggish real estate market and how it will affect his up-and- coming neighborhood.

"We have witnessed broken windows ... people are breaking in," Swift said. "It's a regression. The owners are not here to keep their properties up and their properties safe."

Across the Tampa Bay area, real estate agents, prospective buyers and construction companies have struggled in recent months to break even in a market ravaged by speculation, risky loans, foreclosures and fraud. But now neighbors are beginning to fret over how the growing number of vacant homes will affect the safety and viability of their neighborhoods.

In St. Petersburg, the number of vacant and boarded-up structures increased last year for the first time in three years. Single-family construction permits are also down by more than 50 percent, from 282 requests in 2006 to less than 130 last year. And Realtors and neighborhood leaders say they are seeing rentals on streets that rarely had them before.

Other cities have seen similar housing downturns. In 2006, Seminole issued 24 certificates for single-family homes. Last year, the city issued half that many. The number of certificates issued for townhomes decreased from 63 to 35.

"There is clearly reason for legitimate concern," said Askia Muhammad Aquil, executive director of the nonprofit St. Petersburg Neighborhood Housing Services.

"Vacant and boarded properties serve as magnets for the negatives that people don't want to see in their neighborhoods."

In Fossil Park, where homes have always sold quickly, "for rent" signs were once a unique sight. Now, they litter front lawns.

"We are keeping an eye on it," said homeowner Jerry Woodridge. "You just don't have the same level of care in the neighborhood when you have renters as when you have people who own their homes."

The housing slump comes at a time when St. Petersburg has pledged to reduce vacant and boarded-up properties.

For the most part, that effort has been a big success. In 2002, there were 383 boarded-up properties in St. Petersburg.

Last year, there were 289, but that was a 10 percent increase from 2006, when there were 262 boarded homes, the first increase since 2004. City officials argue that a slight increase is nothing to be alarmed about.

"There are always slight fluctuations," said Gary Bush, operations manager for the city's codes compliance department. "We are glad to still see an overall downward trend."

Realtors also contend that the market is on the cusp of a turnaround.

"This is an absolutely fabulous time to buy," said Kathleen Doermer, a St. Petersburg agent. "Rates are low and there are deals to be made."

But some community leaders say the rise in boarded homes points to a growing trend of vacant properties, which could eventually lead to more boarded structures and unsightly houses.

"This signals that the progress that we all have made, that we are losing ground," Aquil said.

Aquil said he has found himself wrestling over whether to board up some of the vacant properties owned by his nonprofit agency that have been on the market for too long.

"You are still trying to market it, so how do you market a house that is boarded up?" he said. "But if you don't board up, the windows will be broken, someone will come in and take the cabinets, the appliances, the light fixtures, etc."

In Bartlett Park, Swift and his neighbors recently went door to door counting vacant properties on some of the busiest streets. They found more than 70.

"These places are getting dirty and there is no one there to clean them up," Swift said.

Times staff writer Anne Lindberg contributed to this report. Cristina Silva can be reached at csilva@sptimes.com or 727 893-8846.

By the numbers

Housing market

Number of single-family home construction permits

Number of vacant and boarded-up structures citywide

In 2002, 77 percent of new homes sold for less than $200,000. In 2007, 21 percent fell into that category.

2004 301 2005 329 2006 282 2007 125

2004 347 2005 301 2006 262 2007 289

[Last modified January 19, 2008, 21:58:00]