Two homes declared unfit for habitation

One home owner did not respond to notices to get water.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- Two Campbell homes, one vacant and the other occupied, were declared unfit for human habitation by the Mahoning County District Board of Health, primarily because they don't have running water as required by the board's new Healthy Home Code.
The homes' owners have five days to get water service or notices will placed on the homes that they are unfit for human habitation, and the matter will be turned over to the city prosecutor, county health officials said.
The city contracts with the county health board for public health services.
The occupied property is located at 45 First St.; the vacant property at 147 Lettie Ave.
Angelo Italiano, county health sanitarian, said the man who occupies the First Street house failed to respond to two notices to get water service, did not appear at a health board hearing on the matter, and will not let him into the house.
"The big problem is he has a lot of problems and we're trying to get him help," said Campbell Mayor John Dill, who requested health board action on both properties after receiving citizen complaints.
Health board members said they hoped to involve adult protective services to help the occupant of the First Street home. It also has no electricity or gas, Dill added.
Italiano said the Lettie Avenue home is not occupied by the owner and has been without water since February. He said a former tenant continued to live there, but recently left, leaving the home unoccupied.