By Michael Gorman
THE VANGUARD
NovaNewsNow.com
Yarmouth’s housing crisis didn’t happen overnight and the recovery isn’t happening swiftly either, but it is happening.
More than a year ago 200 people found themselves with little or no notice that they would be turned out of their homes because their landlords were losing their properties. Closer investigation showed several landlords with stables of properties that carried mortgages far exceeding assessment values as well as a backlog of bills to the town and power company.
In the time since, parts of town have been something of a patchwork quilt with vacant buildings, several of which were lost in suspicious fires.
Now, however, some of these buildings are being purchased, renovated and rented again.
Bill Thibeau, the town’s building inspector, said each building is treated on a case-by-case basis. Thibeau said so far four or five once vacant buildings are back on the rental market and one of them includes a building where the owner is a tenant.
“It’s good for us because he’s there to take care of it (and) fix it up.”
When Thibeau goes through a building with a new owner to evaluate what needs to be done, he’s applying the town’s minimum housing standard. This includes ensuring the electrical work is safe, plumbing functions properly and there are working smoke alarms before anyone is allowed to live there.
“You’re going to make them acceptable for tenants,” said Thibeau.
Some buildings are so far gone at this point, said Thibeau, that it’s not economically viable to bring them back to proper standards for the purpose of renting.
“A few of them are going to remain vacant. It’s just not economically — or no one’s come along, to this point anyway, that feels they’re economical to refurbish.”
Mayor Phil Mooney said several properties have been identified as unlikely to be sold and renovated. Mooney said the town has money in its budget to purchase property if necessary. Any work that is done by the town at vacant properties would be applied to the price of the property if and when it might be sold.
“One or two have been brought to my attention where something’s going to have to be done probably in the next six months if they’re not off the market,” said Mooney. “The price has to be right and the situation has to be right.”
There are also programs through the province and other avenues, said Mooney, for people looking to purchase properties that need extensive work before they can be rented.
The mayor said the RCMP continues to keep tabs on vacant buildings in town and he’s pleased with the work that’s been done on the matter to this point. As for the amount of available housing in Yarmouth, Mooney said things are much better at this point than this time last year or even six months ago.
