Rows of abandoned Youngstown Sheet and Tube houses are coming down after the city of Campbell received funding through the Mahoning Valley Landbank, and amid blight and safety concerns.

"There's a serious drug problem--we got squatters.  We just had a fatality here two weeks ago.", said Campbell city council president George Levendis, referring to a fire on Andrews Avenue on December 31 that claimed the life of a 38-year-old woman.

After discovering a storm-water basin filled with hundreds of hypodermic needles, city leaders say time us up.

 

"It's not fair to the neighbors, it's not fair to the people that come here and it looks like a warzone--it's a bad look for the city of Campbell.", Levendis explained.

One of those neighbors tells me it's been like this since he moved here 15 years ago.

"It's an eyesore--nobody wants to live around here because of the value of their property.", said Mitch, a resident that lives near the housing complex.

The city hasn't wasted anytime in tearing down housing.  More than a dozen have been demolished as funding paved the way for 70 of the 170 multi-unit buildings to come down...with plans to demolish the rest down the road.

Levendis tells 21 News, if property taxes aren't paid, if the property isn't being maintained and is rundown, then it's coming down.