Regina councillor says abandoned house is haven for drug users and should be demolished

A Regina city councillor wants a unsafe dwelling in his ward demolished, but at this time there is nothing he or the city can do about it.

"That thing'sgottago," said Coun. Wade Murray.

He says an abandoned house on the 1400 block of Angus Street has turned into a haven for drug users.

A North Central community group calling itself 'White Pony Lodge' went to clean up the vacant property over the weekend and they say they found at least 100 needles as well as a knife and some condoms in the neighbourhood overthe course of two patrols.

At least 60 used needles and various needle parts were found in the house.

The windows of the house were boarded up and there was trash piled in the stairways.

Murray,councillor for Ward 6 which includes North Central, said it isan issue in the inner -ity neighbourhoods where there are socioeconomic challenges and people with drug addiction issues.

"That particular house is some what unique in the fact that it has experienced two fires and right now the ownersof that property areunder some issues with their insurance companies, so until they get that sorted out, we as a community are stuck with it."

• Regina group calls for abandoned houses to go after 100 needles found

In the meantime, Murray says police are conducting an investigation and are keeping an eye on the house to make sure no other illegal activity takes place.

Murray also said city workers will be cleaning up the yard and the fire department will board up the house so that nobody can enter it.

As of Tuesday evening, that had yet to be done.

Murray saidbefore the city can do anymore they need the property owners to do their due diligence.

"At the end of the day, our community is better served by new buildings, new structures going in to replace the old, and we've seen that there's been such a resurgence of development within the inner city there's very few vacant lots left," Murray said.

"When I think 10 years ago or thirteen years ago when I started, there were vacant lots everywhere, there were many burned out homes now there's a lot less."

In the house specificallyat least 60 used needles and then various needle parts were found.