Posts by Community Progress
Why 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…
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 is the Neighborhood Revitalization and Land Banking Act?
The bipartisan bill is an important step in giving rural, urban, and suburban communities the tools to address “blighted” properties. The key focus of the bill is providing support to land banks, a tool many communities are adopting to support economic and neighborhood revitalization.
Read MoreThe Problem with Calling Neighborhoods with Vacant Properties “Blighted”
Blight is a shorthand term many people use to refer to properties they perceive as problematic in some way.
Read MoreHow Vacant and Abandoned Buildings Affect the Community
Vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated (VAD) properties—referred to by some as “blighted properties”—pose significant costs to public health, property values, local taxpayers, and more.
Read MoreWhat Can Neighbors Do about Vacant Buildings and Lots?
When neighbors come together, they can be a powerful voice for community revitalization.
Read MoreWhat is Code Enforcement?
Code enforcement from A to Z: when it works, when it doesn’t, and how local governments can make code enforcement systems more fair for all.
Read MoreWhat’s the Deal with Rural Land Banks? A Q&A with West Virginia Land Stewardship Corporation Executive Director Taylor Bennett
Land banks can help rural communities deal with vacant, abandoned, and dilapidated properties.
Read MoreHow to Prevent and Reduce Illegal Dumping
Cities spend millions each year cleaning up illegal dumping. What if they tried to make vacant lots less appealing to dumping in the first place?
Read MoreTips for a Successful Session Proposal for the 2024 Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference
How to write a session proposal for the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference that will get noticed.
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