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A recent house fire in the Wolfhurst neighborhood in Belmont County has shined more light onto a concerning issue in the Ohio Valley. The house on Beal Street where the fire happened last week allegedly was occupied by squatters.
"It's not a registered occupied house, but people are living there and it's questionable how they got there," Wolfhurst Volunteer Fire Department Assistant Chief Kevin Roberts said.
Beal Street resident Bethany Wallace told our reporter that she had attended several Bridgeport Village Council meetings to discuss those alleged squatters, but lamented that nothing had yet been done.
Fixing that problem takes a community-wide approach, no matter where those squatters might be found. Neighbors must stay vigilant and notify municipal officials when they see those homes occupied by people who shouldn't be there. Those municipal officials must be willing to act to move those squatters out and make sure they don't come back. Part of that could be working to insure that vacant homes either get bought and occupied or get torn down.
No community wants to see its homes and property values harmed by people who don't have a vested interest in those neighborhoods' safety and overall condition. It's up to everyone working together to keep those areas nice places to live.