Edmonton's derelict property problem turning a corner, councillor says

The decades-long problem of derelict properties plaguing Edmonton is now turning a corner, according to one city councillor and a long-time resident of the Alberta Avenue neighbourhood. 

In nearly three years under its Problem Property Initiative, the city says 470 properties have been demolished. Of those, 263 have been redeveloped or owners have applied for development permits. 

The city has taken a multi-pronged approach to dealing with properties that pose a fire risk, have unsecured openings or people squatting in them. 

In April 2022, it created a program called the community property safety team to address fires in unsecured properties. Since then, the teams have secured nearly 1,200 properties. 

Christy Morin, who’s lived in the Alberta Avenue area for more than 30 years, said she and fellow residents are thankful for the task force’s work. 

“Many people have moved out in the past because of neighbours that were problem properties and we've lost them as community members,” Morin said in an interview Tuesday. “One house going down on a block makes a huge exponential change in the children being able to go out and play, the seniors being able to go for walks, having barbecues, not being afraid in your back alleys.”

As of Wednesday, the city said it’s actively monitoring another 533 properties that were unsecured and vacant, and given a compliance order.

Currently, 62 properties are designated as unsecured and vacant. These properties are scheduled to be secured by either the property owner or the city. 

Philippe Martins, a resident of Pleasantview, said he complained to the city many times about a home where he said yelling, fights, and garbage were constant issues. 

Emergency services and fire trucks showed up when there was a fire last summer, Martins said in an interview Tuesday.  

"It was an area that I'd avoid, even though I just lived down the street. I would go in the other direction to walk my dog,” he said. “It's very unpredictable. It could be, at times, scary.” 

The teams monitor buildings that pose a threat and if the owner doesn’t act, the teams can board the windows and doors, put up fencing and assign security. 

Ward Métis Coun. Ashley Salvador said she heard from constituents on a weekly basis that fires were happening in some of these structures, she told CBC News Wednesday. 

The city didn’t give an average time that a building can sit in a derelict state.