DENISON, TX - The city of Denison is putting more resources into sprucing up the city this time focusing on cleaning up low income housing.

According to Denison City Manager Robert Hanna, "We're not necessarily picking on people, but we are saying that's not necessarily a community standard that this city wants to have anymore."

Federal funds from the Community Development Block Grant will pay for a new code enforcement officer to work with homeowners who violate city code.

Homeowners who can't afford to bring their homes up to code can then apply for funding through the city's general fund.

Hanna says, "Try to raise those lower income neighborhoods out of poverty, into something else."

Some main code violations include high grass and weeds, broken windows, and homes without front doors or roofs.

Denison Store owner Shawnda Rains has operated businesses in the city for years and agrees with this code enforcement initiative.

According to Rains, "Things like that increases traffic. You know, people come into a city and they don't want to come into a dirty place where it looks like it's not being maintained or taken care of."

That's what the city aims to change.

According to Hanna, "This is about a movement of cleaning Denison up and creating a community that we're proud to call Denison home because it looks great."

Rains thinks, "That's always a good thing: maintaining our city and the beautification of our city."