Posts by Maria Elkin
What does equitable code enforcement look like? How Louisville is taking steps to use its code enforcement process to advance racial equity
With technical assistance support from Community Progress, Louisville is reforming their housing and building code enforcement with equity in mind.
Read MoreA Message from President and CEO Akilah Watkins
Dear friends and supporters of the Center for Community Progress, With great sadness and great gratitude, I announce that I will be departing from the Center for Community Progress at the end of 2022, to assume the role of President and CEO of Independent Sector. Over these last five years leading Community Progress, I have…
Read MorePublication: Championing Leaders of Color
Download the Full Report Community development unites people to take collective action to build stronger, more resilient places to live. Its roots are embedded in the backyards, living rooms, and church halls of people who, out of sheer will and perseverance, found ways to advocate for change in their neighborhoods. Over time, though, the field…
Read MoreThe Unique Challenge of Vacancy and Abandonment in Puerto Rico
This is an excerpt of Chapter 4 of Tackling Vacancy and Abandonment: Strategies and Impacts After the Great Recession, jointly produced by the Center for Community Progress, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. It has been lightly edited and condensed for the web. In this chapter, Ivís Garcia…
Read MoreDetroit’s Tax Foreclosure Problems Need Long-Term Solutions
This is an excerpt of Chapter 3 of Tackling Vacancy and Abandonment: Strategies and Impacts After the Great Recession, jointly produced by the Center for Community Progress, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. It has been lightly edited and condensed for the web. In this chapter, Margaret Dewar…
Read MoreHow Community Progress Celebrated #LoveThatLot in 2022
In 2022, we celebrated Valentine’s Day with another #LoveThatLot, a social media campaign to show our love for the people and organizations turning vacant lots into vibrant places. Neighborhood Gardens Trust shared how they preserved 50 community gardens throughout Philadelphia. The City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services shared how their brownfields programs transform abandoned…
Read MoreThe Battle of the Belts: Vacancy in the Sun Belt and Rust Belt Since the Great Recession
This is an excerpt of Chapter 2 of Tackling Vacancy and Abandonment: Strategies and Impacts After the Great Recession, jointly produced by the Center for Community Progress, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. It has been lightly edited and condensed for the web. In this chapter, Austin Harrison…
Read MoreState Policy and Problem Property Regulation
This report is derived from From State Capitols to City Halls, a working paper prepared by Alan Mallach pursuant to a joint program agreement between the Center for Community Progress and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Download the One-pager || Download the Full Report The need to regulate problem properties is not really contested.…
Read More#LoveThatLot 2022: Show Your Favorite Formerly Vacant Lots Some Love
February is a special month at the Center for Community Progress. And that’s because it’s time for our annual Valentine’s Day celebration, #LoveThatLot, where you share with us your favorite revitalization projects and community champions, and show them some love too! Here’s how to participate: Share your favorite community revitalization efforts with us on social…
Read MoreTreasury’s Final Rule Is Here; Here’s What You Should Know About Using ARPA Funds to Address Vacancy
The long-awaited Final Rule on the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) was released by the U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday, January 6, 2022. It includes significant wins for communities hoping to address vacancy and abandonment in the wake of the pandemic. Since this $350 billion recovery package was…
Read More