Indiana City’s Homes Condemned as Meth Labs Multiply

The city of Evansville, Indiana’s battle with illegal methamphetamine labs is resulting in condemned homes.

The Evansville Courier & Press reported Sunday that the Vanderburgh County Health Department has condemned at least 160 properties due to meth production since the one-pot method of meth production was introduced to Evansville in early 2010.

Most of the condemned properties were rental units and most are in areas where home values fall under $50,000.

Monte Fetter, head of the Property Owners and Managers Association in Evansville, says the illegal methamphetamine labs have become “a quality-of-life issue for the entire community.”

He says most property owners affected by meth lab discoveries have chosen to have those properties cleaned to rigorous and expensive state-enforced standards. He says the costs make it harder for landlords to stay in business.