OLMSTED, Ill. (WSIL) – Once known as a peaceful retirement community nestled along the Ohio River, the village of Olmsted is now confronting a crisis that's eating away at its charm; growing number of dilapidated, abandoned homes. "I need our uh… congressman to take notice... We really need help!"

Mayor Curtis Marshall isn’t mincing words. With sagging rooftops, boarded-up windows, and homes slowly collapsing into ruin, residents say the blight is dragging down property values and community morale.

“We try to keep our city clean,” Marshall told News 3.

“But as you probably saw when you came in, there are a lot of abandoned houses that need to be torn down.”

The issues stem from a sharp decline in population and economic opportunity. Many homes have been left behind, some still occupied

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