In neighborhoods across America, blighted properties are often seen as eyesores—overgrown lawns, peeling paint, sagging porches. For some, they’re symbols of decline. For others, they’re just places to avoid.
But for Matt Williams, founder of Fight the Blight Inc. in Irwin, Pennsylvania, these properties are something else entirely: cries for help.
“Blight,” says Williams, “isn’t just a property issue. It’s a people issue.”
Williams and his team have spent the past several years not only mowing lawns and removing debris, but sitting down with the people who live inside these homes—many of whom are elderly, disabled, or silently battling the weight of grief, trauma, or mental illness.
“Behind nearly every neglected home is a story,” he explains. “Sometimes it’s the slow isolation of disability. Sometimes it’s poverty, addiction, or the aftermath of loss. The home is just the part the public can see.”
This perspective is shaped not just by his work in the field, but by personal experience—chronicled in his memoir Purpose Through Pain, which details his journey through tragedy, recovery, and eventually, community leadership.
At the heart of Williams’ message is a redefinition of the word itself:
“Blight is the visible evidence of a life in crisis.”
This new understanding is what led to the organization’s unique approach—pairing traditional property maintenance with compassionate peer support and community healing. Fight the Blight doesn’t just improve curb appeal; they help individuals reclaim their sense of dignity, often offering support groups, referrals, and hands-on assistance along the way.
“When we restore a home,” says Williams, “we’re not just improving the neighborhood. We’re honoring the story of the person who lives there.”
And in doing so, Fight the Blight is quietly shifting the conversation—away from shame, and toward understanding. From judgment, to action.
As spring projects get underway across Westmoreland County, the organization hopes more people will take a moment to look past the peeling paint and ask a different question: What happened here—and how can we help?