Nearly 80 homes abandoned but leaders say they can only afford to remove 9
MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. (WTVD) — Neighbors in Mount Olive say they are tired of seeing dilapidated homes in their community and they want the town to do something about it.
“Tear it down,” said Tracey Higgs, who has seen an abandoned home outside her front door each day for more than a decade.
Higgs worries wild animals, rodents and random squatters have moved into what was once a beautiful home.
“Generations don’t take care of it. It’s like once the owner passes away, that’s it,” said Higgs.
Michael Olliver is an advocate for Tracey’s community. He said his group 1619 Project has been cleaning and cutting the grass at many of the vacant properties in the predominately Black neighborhood.
“There’s no excuse for people to live in these conditions. It’s unacceptable,” said Olliver. “Our children deserve better. It’s unsafe. It’s unsanitary.”
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