Third Ward Coalition members plan to ask for funding to demolish condemned buildings and to improve building exteriors at the Nov. 28 meeting of the DeKalb City Council.

Both Tax Increment Financing and rehabilitation loan funding provide possible sources of funding for renovation and removal of 3rd Ward properties, said Bill Nicklas, DeKalb director of building and community service, to about 40 coalition members at a meeting Sunday. Under TIF, a portion of the state’s sales tax is reallocated to DeKalb.

The DeKalb-Pond-Fisk section of the 3rd Ward is within the TIF district, and residents might thus seek funding to remove deteriorating buildings. TIF also can provide relocation costs for people who live in condemned buildings in this section, Nicklas said.

“TIF’s approach to providing funds is to try to spur private investment where it hasn’t been going on before,” Nicklas said.

With council approval, 3rd Ward residents can use part of the city’s $300,000 rehabilitation loan fund for external and internal repairs for furnaces, porches and roofs to make buildings habitable, Nicklas said.

Third Ward Alderman William Hanna suggested using part of the rehabilitation fund to demolish buildings.

“I don’t think we should allow hovels to exist because we think we have to have housing for the poor,” said Hanna. He suggested mainstreaming these families into other neighborhoods and securing government aid to help them pay rent.

Nicklas also said he would ask the council for an ordinance making it easier to remove inoperable vehicles from property.