ALBANY – Halloween is two weeks away, but several municipalities
in the Mid-Hudson/Catskill region will receive funds from the state Attorney
General’s Office to combat the zombie home problem.
Those are vacant and abandoned homes that are not maintained during a
prolonged foreclosure proceeding.
The funding is coming from the $3.2 billion settlement agreement with
Morgan Stanley, which generated $550 million in cash and consumer relief
for New Yorkers.
Among those communities receiving funds to combat zombie homes are:
• City of Kingston $150,000
• City of Mount Vernon $175,000
• City of Newburgh $149,263
• City of Peekskill $100,000
• City of Poughkeepsie $150,000
• City of White Plains $175,000
• Town of Carmel $100,000
• Town of Newburgh $111,268
• Town/Village of Liberty $$75,000
• Village of Monticello $71,000
• Village of Wappingers Falls $75,000
The money will address housing vacancy and blight by bolstering municipalities’
capacity for housing code enforcement, for tracking and monitoring vacant
properties, and for legal enforcement capacity to ensure banks and mortgage
companies comply with local and state law.
“This, coupled with new New York State legislation effective in
December, will boost the city’s effort to address critical blight
in our neighborhoods.” He said the initiative will include funds
for staffing to address shortfalls in enforcement and abatement of the
problem properties.
