TRURO - East-end residents are fed up with party homes destroying their neighbourhood and they want action, says a councillor for the area.
Greg MacArthur said many of the problem spots are older homes that have been cut into multiple unit apartment buildings. It has been a topic he has heard a lot about since becoming a councillor in 2003.
"These apartments are eyesores," he told the Truro Daily News on Wednesday.
"I've had women and seniors move out of their homes - sell their homes at a loss - just so they could get away from people that were living in some of these apartments because of the rowdiness."
MacArthur said he would like to see a landlords group formed to try to come up with a solution to the problem.
"I think 95 per cent of landlords (in Truro) do a great job, but we're paying for the five per cent," he said. "That one or two houses on a street can ruin it."
The problem is not unique to Truro or the east end, he said, but it's time to "take back some of these streets and say we don't want this happening here anymore."
MacArthur grew up in the east end and remembers delivering newspapers to the well-kept homes 30 years ago. He said in the 1970s and 1980s people started moving out of some the larger homes and new owners divided the houses into apartments.
During the past few decades some of those homes have deteriorated and the low rent is creating headaches for those left in the neighbourhood, who have invested their hard-earned money into their properties. Some of the apartment landlords live outside of town and aren't worried about the upkeep of the properties, the councillor said.
"He doesn't have to worry about the poor woman, that's the senior next door, that can't sleep at night because the people are keeping her up. And he doesn't care, all he cares about is a dollar coming into his apartment," MacArthur said.
He said the emails and calls he has been receiving are from residents who do not blame police or council but are looking for help in addressing the situation.
He has asked the issue to be added to the agenda for tonight's special council meeting.
jmalloy@trurodaily.com
