ELMIRA, N.Y. (WENY) -- The City of Elmira continues its “Fight on Blight” after tearing down a house at 909 Davis Street this week. The house was one of many on a public list of properties that have failed to be maintained properly.  

Back in April, the city announced the creation of a monthly public list of landlords and property owners who have not taken care of these homes. The “Fight on Blight” includes details about the one or more code violations that have not been remedied.  

Elmira Councilmember for the 3rd District, Joseph Duffy, said the house on Davis Street needed to be torn down for the past five years and was deemed a safety hazard.  

“Unfortunately, houses are very expensive to tear down...and we have many,” Duffy said.  

But Duffy said Elmira has officially become a pro-housing community. That means, the city will be able to apply for grant funding from New York State to pay for demolition and cleanup costs.  

“We have a list, obviously, of unsightly, dangerous properties...and it’s just a process of which one is next and how we go about it legally and financially,” he said.  

Tearing down the houses is not the expensive part of the process, hauling away the debris is. The property owners are billed for the demolition but cannot be forced to pay. If that happens, the cost gets added onto their property taxes.