Cleveland ABC-affiliate WEWS has launched a year-long initiative intended to “target and seek out solutions” to the number of vacant homes in northeast Ohio (video of the announcement above).
The project, “Building Better Neighborhoods,” was conceived after the station noticed uptick in the number of reports in the past year about crime, house fires and vandalism at the sites of vacant homes, abandoned after the housing collapse.
WEWS will solicit pictures and information about distressed properties from viewers through Facebook, Twitter and the WEWS Smartphone app. The station will use that information to work with community groups and corporate partners to organize neighborhood clean-up efforts, and will also host a series of town hall meetings on the subject.
“Through Building Better Neighborhoods, NewsChannel 5 will create positive and measurable changes in the local communities we serve,” Sam Rosenwasser, WEWS vice president and general manager, said in a statement.