City of Columbia wants to demolish vacant properties

The city of Columbia wants to acquire 10 houses within the next five years to demolish so the lots can be used to rebuild and sell to first-time homebuyers.

The acquisition of those houses is part of the city’s draft of its Consolidated Plan for 2020-2024, released last week. The plan is meant to guide city affordable housing policy and community development programs.

The plan will guide approximately $8.275 million in community investments, according to the plan.

The plan says some houses on and around Third Avenue in central Columbia have been long abandoned and occupied squatters or forgotten. The city has already purchased two of them and is looking at properties on Hickman Avenue.

The city wants to use federal grant funding to pay for the program.

The consolidated planning process serves as a framework for a community-wide dialogue to identify housing and community development priorities.

A public hearing will be held at the Oct. 7 city council meeting.