I’m sorry, I’m not seeing the ‘witch hunt’ described in a previous posting. I agree that language should be used with thought, especially when referring to people and the connotations certain language carries. However, I’m not reading here that anyone is denigrating homeless people or equating abandoned buildings with rape. The fact IS that abandoned buildings notoriously present opportunity for activities such as drug use/trafficking, theft, arson and assault to occur. Not that this is new. But it seems that abandoned buildings have increasingly become problematic. I’m sure you’ve read of the 11-year old girl was abducted and raped in an abandoned house in Greenfield. This just happened in May. The man who committed the assault was not homeless; he was a resident. But, according to the Post-Gazette, he was hanging out and drinking on the abandoned property. Also recently, in sections of Sheridan and New Castle, residents have, basically, been terrorized by a string of fires set in abandoned houses in those neighborhoods. Firefighters and police having to enter neglected buildings are also in danger; one firefighter responding to a suspected-arson in New Castle noted [in the Post-Gazette] “…with the intensity of the fires and the structural damage, it wouldn't take much for a floor to collapse or a wall to come down." Residents of any neighborhood should certainly be vigilant, but an ounce of prevention is still worth a pound of cure – if these properties are secured (or removed), then there is no access to them. That would be a more proactive approach. Personally, I would prefer to see a home renovated rather than destroyed. Still, either option needs to be done in a reasonable amount of time. People’s safety and well-being is more important! Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2009 11:56:50 -0700 From: msranders@yahoo.com Subject: Re: [Highland Park] Abandoned Houses postings To: neighborhood@highlandparkpa.com The rape on Stanton Avenue occurred w/in 2 blocks of my home and areas where I travel by foot and car quite frequently. It is a terrible crime and my thoughts go out to the young woman who survived it, her family and her friends who are no doubt attempting to be supportive of her while dealing with their own shock and traumatic grief. However, what I have seen in response on this email list amounts to a witch hunt. No one knew there was a potential rapist in the neighborhood until after the fact, but now we are equating abandoned buildings w/ rape. We need to be vigilant in our neighborhoods every day, and try not to succumb to being unproductively reactionary after a crime has occurred. It's a natural response to our fear and surprise, but it does more harm than good. Assuming the correct assailant has been arrested, the young man who is accused of this terrible crime happened to also be homeless and squatting. This does not mean that sqatters are rapists. It does not mean that squatters are dangerous. It means that we have among us in our neighborhoods a population of people who are homeless. If structures are unstable, then they need to be removed. This is for the safety of the neighborhood, but it is also for the safety of squatters. If structures are stable, then they need to be addressed: reclaimed, repossessed, rennovated, repurposed, etc. If people in our neighborhood are homeless, they need our compassion, empathy, and help. People don't become homeless because they want to, and it is very difficult to reverse homelessness once it has occurred. Did you know that it is nearly impossible to secure valid employment w/out a permanent address? It is very difficult to maintain a wardrobe, do laundry, or maintain personal cleanliness while homeless. Therefore, people who are homeless also have great difficulty maintaining employment they may have had before becoming homeless. Please be cautious in the language used in your responses. People, structures, and crimes are three different topics of conversation that may be interrelated, but do not by default have cause-and-effect relationships. Please don't forget that we are not only a neighborhood of beautiful historic homes and tree lined streets, but also a community of compassionate caring people.

There is a need to compile a list of all vacant and/or abandoned houses in Highland Park. The status of these houses is useful in moving forward with whatever action needs to be taken. The action could be as simple as speaking to the real estate company handling the property, reporting it to Building Inspection (at Zone 5 two days a week), etc. This list should include those houses for sale, those in the process of renovation, foreclosure, etc. I'll begin with a vacant house in the 6200 block of Wellesley Avenue that is presently on the market listed with Howard Hanna. The house is secure and posing no threat. It is being shown on a regular basis. Another vacant house is in the 1000 block of North Sheridan. It's in foreclosure. It appears secure and the present owners are being responsible in keeping the grounds in fair condition. What else is out there and what is the status of the building? This is gathering information for the maintenance and development of the community. This is a responsibility we can all commit to. Maureen D. Cato ----- Original Message ----- From: "alycia knauer" <avcknauer@hotmail.com> To: msranders@yahoo.com, neighborhood@highlandparkpa.com Sent: Monday, July 20, 2009 11:44:54 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: RE: [Highland Park] Abandoned houses I’m sorry, I’m not seeing the ‘witch hunt’ described in a previous posting. I agree that language should be used with thought, especially when referring to people and the connotations certain language carries. However, I’m not reading here that anyone is denigrating homeless people or equating abandoned buildings with rape. The fact IS that abandoned buildings notoriously present opportunity for activities such as drug use/trafficking, theft, arson and assault to occur. Not that this is new. But it seems that abandoned buildings have increasingly become problematic. I’m sure you’ve read of the 11-year old girl was abducted and raped in an abandoned house in Greenfield. This just happened in May. The man who committed the assault was not homeless; he was a resident. But, according to the Post-Gazette, he was hanging out and drinking on the abandoned property. Also recently, in sections of Sheridan and New Castle, residents have, basically, been terrorized by a string of fires set in abandoned houses in those neighborhoods. Firefighters and police having to enter neglected buildings are also in danger; one firefighter responding to a suspected-arson in New Castle noted [in the Post-Gazette] “…with the intensity of the fires and the structural damage, it wouldn't take much for a floor to collapse or a wall to come down." Residents of any neighborhood should certainly be vigilant, but an ounce of prevention is still worth a pound of cure – if these properties are secured (or removed), then there is no access to them . That would be a more proactive approach. Personally, I would prefer to see a home renovated rather than destroyed. Still, either option needs to be done in a reasonable amount of time. People’s safety and well-being is more important! Date: Sat, 18 Jul 2009 11:56:50 -0700 From: msranders@yahoo.com Subject: Re: [Highland Park] Abandoned Houses postings To: neighborhood@highlandparkpa.com The rape on Stanton Avenue occurred w/in 2 blocks of my home and areas where I travel by foot and car quite frequently. It is a terrible crime and my thoughts go out to the young woman who survived it, her family and her friends who are no doubt attempting to be supportive of her while dealing with their own shock and traumatic grief. However, what I have seen in response on this email list amounts to a witch hunt. No one knew there was a potential rapist in the neighborhood until after the fact, but now we are equating abandoned buildings w/ rape. We need to be vigilant in our neighborhoods every day, and try not to succumb to being unproductively reactionary after a crime has occurred. It's a natural response to our fear and surprise, but it does more harm than good. Assuming the correct assailant has been arrested, the young man who is accused of this terrible crime happened to also be homeless and squatting. This does not mean that sqatters are rapists. It does not mean that squatters are dangerous. It means that we have among us in our neighborhoods a population of people who are homeless. If structures are unstable, then they need to be removed. This is for the safety of the neighborhood, but it is also for the safety of squatters. If structures are stable, then they need to be addressed: reclaimed, repossessed, rennovated, repurposed, etc. If people in our neighborhood are homeless, they need our compassion, empathy, and help. People don't become homeless because they want to, and it is very difficult to reverse homelessness once it has occurred. Did you know that it is nearly impossible to secure valid employment w/out a permanent address? It is very difficult to maintain a wardrobe, do laundry, or maintain personal cleanliness while homeless. Therefore, people who are homeless also have great difficulty maintaining employment they may have had before becoming homeless. Please be cautious in the language used in your responses. People, structures, and crimes are three different topics of conversation that may be interrelated, but do not by default have cause-and-effect relationships. Please don't forget that we are not only a neighborhood of beautiful historic homes and tree lined streets, but also a community of compassionate caring people. --