Here is a new effort to steal houses in gentrifying neighborhoods. If you know anyone, who sealed a basement window or an attic window, please let them know that their house may now be targeted for theft. (link below)
The Philadelphia and PA governments are servants of corporate developers. This "law" has nothing to do with speculators and completely boarded up houses! It is designed to function much like the bogus trash tickets in the past. It is designed to force working class people out of the next gentrified neighborhood.
The city does not send out notices in any timely manner. By allowing a $300 a day fine, a working class homeowner can face thousands of dollars in fines, before he knows his house is targeted for theft.
This law is designed for special service districts and upscale real estate ladies to roam the neighborhood looking for a board over an attic or basement window in the houses of a working class person or political target. (Please remember UCD's "worst offenders list" which the late Al Krigman exposed on this list. From the UCD office, a list of addresses was read to the trash ticket lady, R Joyner, via telephone. Then, we would get tickets in the mail alleging an unspecific "violation" 4-6 months in the past.)
This propaganda piece tries to make you think this law is designed for speculators boarding up neighborhoods. Read closely!!! It is not designed against neighborhood destruction by speculators, whatsoever. This is designed against houses with working class people living in them! It's designed to use a single boarded up basement window to take someone's house. (Many neighbors in this neighborhood have boarded up the small attic windows. Please warn them that they are targets. Before I get the usual hate mail, I don't have any boarded up windows, but I know some of the elderly people, who they are going after.)
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20140214_Study__Anti-blight_initiative_seems_to_be_working.html
Quotation from the Housing Alliance web site. (The Reinvestment Fund doesn't appear to have it's study on its website.) Note the words "targeted enforcement" and "low vacancy areas"
Targeted enforcement actually means unaccountable hit list (Targeted enforcement would be a violation of the 14th amendment, if we still had constitutional rights. Targeted enforcement was originally considered something like a speed trap zone, but with "equal protection" of the law.) " Low vacancy areas" means gentrifying areas, not boarded up neighborhoods associated with the word "blight."
"In Philadelphia, the Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) formulated an initiative for strategic, targeted enforcement of the City’s ‘doors and windows’ ordinance (part of the City’s property maintenance code) in conjunction with Act 90. Together the laws enable L&I to fine owners of properties in low-vacancy areas without a functional door or window $300 per day, per opening - See more at: http://www.housingalliancepa.org/node/1618#sthash.THPLFT1n.dpuf"
