Posts by Charles Linton
How Land Banks Can Address Brownfields: Case Studies
Land banks are well-positioned to engage in brownfield redevelopment. As public entities with unique powers to address vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties, land banks can help communities return these properties to productive use in alignment with community goals. A growing number of communities across the country are seeing land banks lead and partner in this…
Read MoreHow a New Jersey Land Bank is Converting Vacant Properties into Homes for Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Holders
Learn how Newark, New Jersey is leveraging an underutilized HCV provision to make homeownership a reality for low-income residents.
Read MoreFive Creative Placemaking Projects Reimagining Live-Work Spaces
Examples of live-work unit projects that are transforming their neighborhoods through creative placemaking.
Read MoreFive Innovative Approaches from Land Banks Across the Country
Five examples of creative approaches land banks have taken to addressing vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties.
Read MoreOur Commitment to Code Enforcement: 2024 Recap
In 2024, Community Progress doubled down on its commitment to helping local governments use code enforcement to address VAD properties.
Read MoreOpportunities to Connect Urban Conservation and Vacant Land Stewardship
In many communities, tackling vacant lots can feel like an impossible challenge. Local officials, land banks, and community organizations recognize the importance of finding effective strategies to maintain and repurpose vacant lots to meet community needs. According to the National Land Bank Network’s 2023 State of Land Banking Survey, vacant lots account for 86 percent…
Read More2024 Year in Review: National Land Bank Network
Learn how the National Land Bank Network served land banks across the country in 2024.
Read MoreA Conversation with Crystal Loffler, President of the Office of Community Renewal
We sat down with Crystal Loffler, President of the Office of Community Renewal at New York State Homes & Community Renewal, to talk about unique and flexible funding opportunities available to land banks in New York State and what other entities can learn from her work. Can you share a little bit about yourself and…
Read MoreFHA Updates 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage Insurance Program to Increase Accessibility
Revisions to the 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage Insurance Program aim to make it more accessible and effective and increase the number of 203(k) consultants.
Read MoreHow Community Partners and Local Governments Collaborate to Address Heirs’ Property
Residents who live near vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated (VAD) properties acutely understand their negative physical, mental, and financial impacts. But each VAD property has a unique story—and that property’s history is not always obvious. Imagine your family has a home that has been passed down through multiple generations. Your grandparents purchased this home 75 years…
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