Daniel Kahle is disabled and couldn’t afford to fix his Rancho Cordova home’s 50-year-old wooden fence. So the City of Rancho Cordova stepped in to help by paying to replace it.<\/p>\n
“It was an eyesore. I’m sure my neighbors are happy it got changed,” Kahle said.<\/p>\n
It’s part of the city’s residential beautification program. Money is available to improve the appearance of homes, like removing chain link fences, installing new low-water landscaping, and hauling away junk and debris.<\/p>\n
“It goes to the overarching goal of growing strong neighborhoods,” said Maria Chacon Kniestedt, the city’s communications director.<\/p>\n
They even have a Cash For Clunkers program paying people $500 to tow away an unwanted or broken-down vehicle.<\/p>\n
“These incentives are designed to help increase property value, come into compliance with any type of code violations,” Chacon Kniestedt said.<\/p>\n
The city works with nonprofit organizations like Rebuilding Together Sacramento to find homeowners in need of help.<\/p>\n
“We visit about 30 to 50 homes, and we can only pick about 15 homes a year,” said Margaret Montgomery, the program director for Rebuilding Together Sacramento.<\/p>\n
Montgomery says many people are struggling with the high cost of repairs.<\/p>\n
“Things that are happening in the economy, and they’re having to choose between ‘do I fix my roof or do I eat?’ ” Montgomery said.<\/p>\n
Since the beautification began, the city has worked on 122 residential properties, replaced 78 chain link fences and towed away 57 vehicles.<\/p>\n
Kahle said the program is already making Rancho Cordova a better place to live, and he’d like to see this type of beautification effort spread across the state.<\/p>\n
“I hope there’s other cities that do the same,” he said.<\/p>\n
The program costs about $150,000 a year, with the money coming from a sales tax increase approved by voters in 2020.<\/p>\n