Jackson Jambalaya

I've not researched, nor am I really informed, but I would guess a large portion of rentals would be Section 8 properties. The landlords have rented under duress, meaning they have no other means. The rents will not afford maintenance, and brings further erosion from lack of income, and more low income dwellers. The owners/landlords cannot recoup their operating cost or investments, and the tenants will/can not maintain the properties. Maybe the solution would be to build some low income apartments in Madison.

Maybe the solution would be to build some low income apartments in Madison.

That made me laugh out loud.

rental units and declining real estate values forced me to move from Jackson to Ridgeland and then to Madison. Where am I going to move if these property types are developed in Madison? Thanks Mary for keeping property values high in my town.

Does Barbour's tax pledge mean he will vote AGAINST LOST (Local Option Sales Tax voter referendum)?

In Madison and Rankin county with our low crime and great schools; we keep rents high, don't allow any felons (do record checks on everyone over 18), must have current 3 years employment with the same company, one month deposit equal to one months rent and proof of monthly income to be three times the rent. Ignore the sad stories. Don't accept HUD. If they have to choose getting the lawn mower fixed to maintain the property or feed the kids, the lawn will wait...which it well should. What to do with the sad stories? Don't worry about them. Let some other bleeding heart help them. You have a responsibility to be a good landlord.

6:04 - your outline does not match all of the rentals in Madison or Rankin County. I am sure that some landlords follow what you have outlined, but there are HUD properties in both Madison and Rankin Counties. I cannot tell from your post if you are talking about 'your' properties or all rental properties in Madison and Rankin.

There are several rental properties in Jackson and Hinds that meet these standards, and more. Obviously there are several that do not. But the statement above about being 'forced' into Section 8 and that does not allow for proper maintenance is crap. Section 8 requires maintenance in the rent - the landlords choose to do something else with the funds.

Agree that a solution needs to be found to the blight and neglected properties, but KF's 'solution' is (like so many of his proposals) so unrealistic to deal with the existing problems, and not recognizing many of the actual problems.

Blight exists throughout innercity Jackson with properties that have been given back to the state because the environmental costs of demolishing them is more than the lots are worth. Ain't gonna fix that with Section 8, employment or age requirements, etc. Need to demolish them but feds regs stop that.

North Hill Square, at one time the best in Jackson, has pulled down a whole area. The apartments are nice sized, exterior well kept, adequate parking, balconies and patios, but gun shots continue and it seems almost nothing is done to keep the criminals out. Located on transit, near Interstate, and schools, churches, and libraries as well as shopping. So nothing seems to explain why crime continues. Suggestions? You cannot continuously keep lower income out of your town. That would discriminate against elderly and disabled. What is the real answer? Parkside (?) on Northview Dr. (Neither of these are Ward 1) is an empty (hopefully) burnt out hulk of what was once a good place to live. We need some teeth in this area of law to force crime out and keep those civilized people a decent place to live.

I know that poorly-maintained rental properties can be a problem for a city, but keep in mind that many of those of us who rent are productive citizens, whether we are wealthy or not. Among us are medical and law students, young couples saving for houses, the elderly and those who simply prefer renting from a good landlord. Some of us, in fact, help to keep the City of Jackson going and a main reason we have stayed (in some cases for a long time) is because we can find decent and affordable rental properties. Without those, we by necessity would leave the city like so many others have done to move to Ridgeland, Brandon, Clinton, or other locales. During this year's city council special-election campaign, I've noticed rental properties being blamed among some citizens for many of Jackson's ills, and though that is no doubt true at times, be sure to remember that they are not so much a root of the problems, but a symptom. Had we had good government, better infrastructure, lower crime and better schools, there would be fewer rental properties and the ones that existed would be more likely to have good renters. The decline of rental properties is simply a symptom of a larger-scale decline of the city. It is not the problem in and of itself.

Great schools in rankin county. I think you mean pretty good schools that are white. Great schools are in clinton and ocean springs. BIG difference.