Times Observer file photos Jeremy Snell, pictured at right in October 2022, pitched the vision of the Snell Family Foundation to the city’s Blighted Property Review Committee last week.

An effort to bring sustainable, low-income housing as well as foster care options was pitched to the city’s blight review panel last week.

Jeremy Snell outlined the work of the Snell Family Foundation, calling the “focus underprivileged youth in foster care in the county.”

He said the foundation is seeking to build a fostering home — a seven-bedroom house — within the next five to seven years. The home would then be donated to foster parents who don’t have sufficient space.

“The goal is to build a community, actually,” he said.

He asked the blight panel and the Redevelopment Authority “to keep us in mind.”

“We are looking for land, places to build this community,” he explained, outlining the need that also exists for youth who have turned 18.

“If there are properties… further down the line to the RDA, we’ll be interested,” he said, “interested in buying, renting, leasing, to provide more low-income stable housing.

“(We are) trying to be a help to the community and you guys as well.”

“I hope that you are successful in doing all of that,” Blighted Property Review Committee Chair Ray Pring said.

“I think it’s fantastic what you want to do,” BPRC member Denise Whipp said. “I’ve always wished that there was some sort of resource for people to get help to get a property out of a blighted situation.”

She said there are circumstances where people “just don’t have the finances” to restore a property but the cost is “not that much.”

She advised Snell that the RDA might be a more appropriate entity for him to work directly with.