CROWLEY, La. (KLFY) – A volunteer organization named Citizens Against Blight also known as (CAB) is tackling the problem at hand of abandoned homes in Crowley.

“I’m a single woman and I’m scared of whatever is going to come out of there and even if they come and tear this down my biggest concern is whatever’s in there is going to come over to my house and I don’t have anybody to help me,” says Angela Augustus.

Angela Augustus been living in her home for 25 years. She been complaining about the abandoned home next to her.  After recently losing her husband and her home being broken it to, she wants change.

“I’ve been making several complaints about that home every time I go to pay my taxes. I even called the city asking them to come and do something about that because of the concerns of the rodents and God knows whatever else is in there,” says Augustus.

The citizens against blight organization identified a total of 530 homes needing to be removed or brought back up to code.

“So, we rated them from one to five. Ones being just violations, trash, cars, things like that. Fives being the most extreme houses,” stated Katie Alleman, a member of the Steering Committee.

“Proximately 80% of our original number were houses like this and some are much worse than this actually,” continues Alleman.

CAB has been working with code enforcement by submitting the identified homes.

“If they believe a structure is a candidate or a structure is a problem it has probably already been identified by CAB and all we need to do is to know who the owner is and go work with that owner and solve the problem,” says Tim Mader, City Engineer and member of CAB.

“85 has been removed from the list by the organization being outside in the community and helping individuals voluntarily knock down their homes or they have sold to contractors who have brought them up to code remodeled and rented them,” stated Emily Stoma, Chairman of CAB.

The organization wants to spread more awareness.

“The community can get involved by spreading the word that there is a way to solve this problem beyond just waiting for someone to be so upset at a condition in their neighborhood,” says Mader.

“We’re all citizens, we’re all volunteers and it’s a very unique time to have citizens doing this for the city for free and the results are showing already,” stated Stoma.

“It’s time for the city to step up and take care of our town. Make it beautiful again, make it peaceful again for all of us,” concluded Augustus.