Residents tell council they are waiting for home-repair assistance and cite code-enforcement problems in parts of Williamsport

Two members of the public addressed the council during the Aug. 7 public-comment period, pressing the city for clearer outreach on housing repairs and raising concerns about property maintenance and code enforcement in parts of Williamsport.

Scott Miller, a Williamsport resident, said he placed his name on a community-development repair list about eight years ago and has not had his home repaired. He urged the city to use outreach channels such as a regular page in the local weekly mailer to inform residents about available programs, noting federal, state and ARPA-era repair programs that local jurisdictions administer. Miller asked staff to inspect his property and to clarify how the city is distributing recent housing-rehab funding.

Melissa Aston, a real-estate agent with Keller Williams Advantage Realty (not a city resident), asked council for the opportunity to organize and present a briefing from area realtors about recurring zoning and code issues on streets she identified (Grant Street and Anthony Street in the East End). Aston said multiple investors own vacant or poorly maintained properties on those blocks and asked whether the city is enforcing code and issuing fines consistently. She offered to prepare a slideshow or booklet and requested time at a future council meeting for a fuller presentation.

Council members acknowledged the comments and asked staff to follow up on individual cases and to consider formal briefings from real-estate professionals. Administration staff did not provide immediate timetables during the meeting but indicated such follow-up would be processed through appropriate departments.