Bob Logue

SOLVING OUR PENNSYLVANIA HOUSING PROBLEMS

SOLVING OUR PENNSYLVANIA HOUSING PROBLEMS

     Pennsylvania has a number of major housing problems.  In many communities there is a high percentage of older houses. 
Many need major repairs.  Too many are being abandoned—dumped onto the municipal governments by owners who can’t or won’t
make the necessary repairs. 

    The City of Pittsburgh has 350 newly abandoned homes every year. The owners refuse to or can’t pay the property taxes and the
city confiscates the property.  This puts a tremendous burden on the city if they can’t find anyone willing to buy these abandoned homes
and improve them.  The municipality and its taxpayers bear the burden for cutting weeds, and cleaning up the debris on these sites; and the
cost of tearing down the eyesores.  Often these houses become drug havens; and devalue nearby homes and entire neighborhoods, and
negatively impact the quality of life for nearby residents.  .    

    In a feeble attempt to reverse the decline of neighborhoods, the government invests millions of dollars in programs to lure buyers to
purchase these abandoned homes.  Sometimes the low interest government funding is offered to help pay for repairs.  .  

    The government sometimes offers PROPERTY TAX FREE periods of three or five years as an enticement.    However, a buyer
purchasing the home under one of these programs and making the needed investment in upgrading the property gets hit with increased
property taxes, sometimes beyond their ability to pay once the tax free period ends.  Some lose the home or let it deteriorate. 

     Too often, absentee landlords buy these properties. Some care for their properties, others do not.  Municipal officials state one
of the greatest problems facing their municipality is dealing with absentee landlords.

     The best way to rebuild our communities and encourage investment in our older housing stock, is to lessen the dependence on costly government
incentive programs and bureaucracies.   Instead, abolish all property taxes on primary residences and make buying and improving these older homes
very attractive to homebuyers.  Ownership changes attitude.  Those who buy these homes as their primary residence will be stakeholders in the
community.  Less dependence on government funded and operated home buyer incentive programs will save the government millions of tax dollars. 

      The trend toward greater absentee ownership of houses in our communities will be reversed.  More families and individuals, including more
women, minorities and low income workers will be able to purchase homes and build wealth through home ownership.

     Abolish ALL property taxes on primary residences and population losses will be reversed.  Increased population attracts more businesses and
will mean more commercial and industrial property taxes, more jobs, more earned income taxes, and other taxes for our schools, counties and municipalities.  
Temporary tax reductions can’t accomplish this.  Abolishment of all property taxes can…and will.    -- Bob Logue.

Visitor Comments:

Anonymous says :
This would work Bob but there is a thing called incomptence with our "great leaders". They are fighting back and forth like a bunch of little kids (as alll kids do) and they are play games with the people of Pa. I think a lot of them forgot this is an election year and thank God for Pa clean sweep. If any of you so called leaders read this just remember to get your skills up to par because the dead beats that voted down s.t.o.p. your out, believe me we will remember>
Anonymous says :
This would work Bob but there is a thing called incomptence with our "great leaders". They are fighting back and forth like a bunch of little kids (as alll kids do) and they are play games with the people of Pa. I think a lot of them forgot this is an election year and thank God for Pa clean sweep. If any of you so called leaders read this just remember to get your skills up to par because the dead beats that voted down s.t.o.p., your out, believe me, we will remember.

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