LANSING – In an effort to protect communities and crack down on drug-related activity, State Representatives Marie Donigan (D-Royal Oak) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) today voted to allow local and state officials to request to speed up the demolition and renovation of forfeited property such as drug houses.
"All too often abandoned houses become havens for illegal drug use and gang-relating activities, which poses a severe threat to the health and safety of our residents," said Donigan, who sponsored the plan. "We've got to expedite the process of converting these properties into something beneficial to our communities. If officials can move quickly to address these forfeited properties, we can reduce the risk of violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer."
Nearly 400 abandoned houses in the city of Pontiac have been boarded up, yet many serve as the headquarters for gang activity and drug sales, according to Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper.
"We are delighted the House has passed this legislation that will allow us to take down drug houses in an expeditious manner, help keep our community safer and revitalize economically stricken neighborhoods," Cooper said.
The bill, which passed the House by a 103 to 1 margin today, allows the forfeited property to be preserved for historical purposes, converted to a park or natural area, or demolished in a quicker fashion at the request of the local prosecuting attorney or state Attorney General. The bill also allows the property conveyed to the state, local government or a nonprofit organization to be used to provide substance abuse treatment, drug resistance education or job training skills, or as housing for those in the community who are displaced due to drug-related crime.
The bill builds on legislation Tlaib introduced in May that allows prosecuting attorneys, corporation counsel or community associations to take legal action to remove houses that manufacture, distribute or act as a center for illegal drugs.
"Our neighborhoods should be a place where our families and children feel safe," Tlaib said. "Our residents and local municipalities need the tools necessary to remove drug houses from their communities as quickly as possible. By demolishing or rehabilitating these properties for a good purpose, we can combat crime and make our neighborhoods safer and stronger."