Abandoned Berea houses attract squatters

THE sad state of two derelict properties on the Berea has been brought to the attention of city officials by members of Save Our Berea (SOB).

Co-founder of SOB, Cheryl Johnson said the civic organisation had been inspecting and documenting the two properties for the past two years and it appeared that their owners had deliberately allowed them to deteriorate to the point of no return.

“It also appears the city has not done enough to hold the owners accountable. The issue is now critical. Neglected and abandoned buildings pose a serious health and security risk to the community,” said Johnson.

She said SOB wanted to know why the Health Department had not intervened, as it was this department’s responsibility to ensure that ratepayers’ lives were not put at risk by vermin-generating conditions in properties in residential areas. Johnson said SOB also wanted to know why the owners were not charged for creating a health hazard.

“In both cases, homeless people are openly living on the properties even though there are no proper toilet facilities. Car guards working in Florida Road live at 9th Avenue, according to a neighbour who lives across the road. Refugees from Congo live in the Problem Mkhize (Cowey) Road property and it even has electricity. How can this be?” asked Johnson.

She said at both properties, the stench of rotting garbage and human faeces and urine was overpowering and fly, mosquito and rat infestations were also evident at both.

“Why have city officials not made the owners remove squatters and ensured they adequately secure the properties to prevent vagrants from moving back into them?

“We believe both these properties pose a serious danger to the surrounding community. Both these properties have been featured time and again in the press and identified as unhygienic and as safe havens for drug dealers and criminals, yet still the city has failed to clean them up and close them down,” she said.

Johnson said property owners who allowed their properties to deteriorate to the point they posed a danger to the public must be charged.

She urged the municipality to have health inspectors visit both properties and report back on what the department intended to do from a health perspective.

Ward councillor, Martin Meyer, said the properties were included on a list he was following up on with the city regularly.

“The truth is until the city changes the bylaw allowing the city stricter measures against property owners who allow their properties to go to rack and ruin like this, there is very little action that can be taken.

“The property next to the one in 9th Avenue was sold and is being restored, which is fantastic and shows what can be done,” he said.