Cleveland residents living near dozens of hazardous homes in the area of E. 88 Street are demanding quicker follow-up by city housing inspectors.
Mittie Jordan has lived in her east side Cleveland neighborhood for 62 years, and pointed to some 50 hazardous homes within a one mile radius of Daniel E. Morgan Middle School down the street.
Jordan told newsnet5.com she doesn't understand why city inspector haven't follow-up on the potentially dangerous homes for years, as hundreds of school children walk by them on a regular basis.
"At what point do we worry about this," said Jordan. "They are finding bodies all over the place. These properties are vulnerable, are children a vulnerable as a consequence."
Jordan said too often vacant homes are left wide open and are havens for crime.
newsnet5.com obtained a random sample of Cleveland Housing Court records on 20 troubled homes located in all parts of the city.
Court records indicate it took city housing inspectors an average of 135 days to follow-up on homes where violations were discovered.
In six of the cases, follow-up by inspectors didn't occur for more than 192 days.
Cleveland Housing Court Judge Ray Pianka told newsnet5.com he wonders why some these cases aren't being followed by inspectors sooner, and why more case aren't being brought to his court.
Pianka revealed on May 5, not even one housing case defendant or violator was presented to his court.
"I do wonder why cases aren't brought sooner," said Pianka. "It's the first time in 20 years that we had no defendants in housing court."
newsnet5.com presented 10 of the cases to Cleveland's Department of Building Housing, hoping to determine what's causing delays in inspector follow-up.
We're waiting for the city to finish it's review.
Meanwhile Mittie Jordan is hoping some of the hazardous homes in her neighborhood will be taken down.
"This is one street, go to 89th it's the same. All around a school, and the other school Wilson on the other end," said Jordan.
