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Homes on the Hill expanding into Westland
(by Sandi Latimer, staff writer - April 21, 2011)
Homes on the Hill (HOTH), which began on the Hilltop, is expanding its work into the Westland area.
HOTH acquires homes, rehabs them, and offers them for sale. Since its founding in 1993, HOTH has provided financial information about home buying to nearly 4,000 central Ohioans. Their presentations are delivered in both English and Spanish to reflect the makeup of the population of the area.
Executive Director Stephen Torsell told the Westland Area Commission (WAC) at its April 20 meeting it is working with seven homes in the area and has already sold one.
HOTH is still working with the Hilltop where it has 16 homes.
“We help families stay in their homes by delivering programs on financial literacy, on maintenance skills, and neighborhood safety,” Torsell said. “By empowering homeowners with financial, technical, and community knowledge, we help families stay in their homes and stabilize neighborhoods. We’re trying to help people in difficult situations so they don’t fall prey to those who don’t have their best interests at heart.”
WAC member Jamie Mueller praised the work of HOTH, noting it is not unusual for it to spend $150,000 on a house it will sell for $100,000.
“It’s to stabilize the neighborhoods,” Mueller said.
Later in the meeting, commission members voted to delay work on updating the Westland Area Plan until 2012. This document would spell out land use in the area for several years in the future. The commission still looking for people to serve on planning committees for the preliminary work on updating the plan.
WAC 2011 Election
President Linda Pitts reappointed Shawn Thomas to a three-year term on the commission.
Of the five appointed positions on the 21-member body, his was the only one whose term was up at the end of April.
WAC elections will be held May 7, in the lobby at Doctors Hospital. Voting will be between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Those eligible to vote are those who live, work, or own property in the area bounded by the Conrail tracks on the north, Interstate 270 on the east, Big Run South on the south, and the Hellbranch Creek on the west.
Seats held by Melissa Barth-Kelly, Jim Kennedy, Dorothy Jantzen, and Greg Donovan are up for election this year. Donovan has decided not to seek re-election. In addition, there are seven other vacant seats on the commission.
Residents of the area have until April 29 to file petitions seeking a seat on the commission.
Petitions are available through Pitts at the Westland Area Library. Candidates need to have 20 signatures on the petition. Residents unable to vote in person May 7 have until April 26 to request an absentee ballot and return it to Pitts by May 6.
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