The list of Natchez houses up for declaration as health hazards in last week&8217;s newspaper was not exactly surprising, but it is refreshing to see the city taking on neighborhood blight and trying to do something about it.

Natchez has a number of ordinances related to blight and beautification, but the city&8217;s planning department is stepping up its efforts to clean up neighborhoods.

That&8217;s good news for the residents of those neighborhoods, but it&8217;s also good news for all of us.

Unkempt properties invite danger. The old adage that dirty people don&8217;t stay in clean places tends to be true, and residents deserve to live in neighborhoods where the grass is kept cut and where houses are not falling down.

Unkempt properties also hurt real estate values of neighboring homes. That can have a real effect on our economy.

And speaking of our economy, neighborhood appearances &8212; and the looks of our business districts &8212; make an impression on folks who are interested in moving to our area.

Bottom line, we all have to take responsibility for our little corners of the world.

And if homeowners &8212; especially absentee owners &8212; won&8217;t take responsibility for their property, the city is right to step up and legally demand them to do so. Taking those steps will help clean up neighborhoods and the whole city.