Posts by Community Progress
The Basics of Brownfield Redevelopment: Finding and Assessing Brownfields
Brownfield redevelopment reclaims the potential of underutilized properties, improves a neighborhood’s health and wellbeing, and can spark community revitalization.
Read MoreWhat is a Land Bank?
A land bank is a public entity with unique powers to put vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties back to productive use according to community goals.
Read MoreWhat is a Brownfield?
Brownfield properties, often referred to as “brownfields,” are properties where the presence or potential presence of hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant makes redevelopment challenging and costly.
Read MoreWhat to Know About the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act in 2025
NHIA would create a new federal tax credit to support construction or rehabilitation of single-family homes in distressed communities.
Read MoreHow to Buy Property From a Land Bank
Find a land bank near you and make sure you understand what makes them different from traditional real estate sellers.
Read MoreLooking for a Land Bank Near You? This Map Will Help!
Learn what a land bank is, how it works, how to buy vacant property from a land bank, and if any land banks serve your community.
Read MoreCelebrating Legislative Wins to Combat Vacancy in Missouri and Alabama
Effective legislation is a vital piece of equipping state and local governments to effectively address vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties (VAD). Through our Land Bank Incubator Scholarship Program, over the last three years Community Progress has been honored to support local efforts to craft and advance these pieces of legislation. This year, legislative sessions in…
Read MoreMourning Gus Frangos (1954 – 2024)
It is with deep sorrow that we mourn the passing of Gus Frangos, Founder and President of the Cuyahoga Land Bank.
Read MoreHow to Convince Your Boss to Send You to the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference
So you want to attend the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference (RVP). It sounds awesome, right? Three days of networking, learning relevant skills, and seeing real-life examples of neighborhood revitalization up close. But your boss needs some convincing. After all, you’ll have to be away from your day job and spend money on travel and conference…
Read MoreWhy Heirs’ Property is a Problem for Vacancy and Abandonment
To address vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated (VAD) properties, local governments must first identify what types of VAD properties exist in the community. Some properties are abandoned with no mortgage and near tax foreclosure. Some fall into disrepair during a long mortgage foreclosure process. In other cases, a property owner may die without a will, passing…
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