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Our blog unpacks complex approaches to community revitalization so you feel ready to return vacant properties to productive use. Sign up for our newsletter to get solutions in your inbox.

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Headlines: The latest on vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties – May 3, 2019
May 3, 2019
Headlines: The latest on vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties – May 3, 2019

This is our twice-monthly round-up of news stories covering challenges related to vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties — and how communities are transforming these properties into assets….

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Headlines: The latest on vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties – April 18, 2019
April 18, 2019
Headlines: The latest on vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties – April 18, 2019

This is our twice-monthly round-up of news stories covering challenges related to vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties — and how communities are transforming these properties into assets….

Read More »
Headlines: The latest on vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties – April 5, 2019
April 5, 2019
Headlines: The latest on vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties – April 5, 2019

This is our twice-monthly round-up of news stories covering challenges related to vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties — and how communities are transforming these properties into assets….

Read More »
Headlines: The latest on vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties – March 8, 2019
March 8, 2019
Headlines: The latest on vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties – March 8, 2019

This is our twice-monthly round-up of news stories covering challenges related to vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties — and how communities are transforming these properties into assets….

Read More »
Headlines: The latest on vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties – February 22, 2019
February 22, 2019
Headlines: The latest on vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties – February 22, 2019

This is our twice-monthly round-up of news stories covering challenges related to vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties — and how communities are transforming these properties into assets….

Read More »
Headlines: The latest on vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties – February 7, 2019
February 7, 2019
Headlines: The latest on vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties – February 7, 2019

This is our twice-monthly round-up of news stories covering challenges related to vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties — and how communities are transforming these properties into assets….

Read More »
#LoveThatLot Turns 5: Let’s celebrate amazing revitalization efforts!
January 28, 2019
#LoveThatLot Turns 5: Let’s celebrate amazing revitalization efforts!

For four years, you’ve helped #LoveThatLot blossom into the Valentine’s Day celebration for your favorite revitalization projects and community champions: 2015 – In its inaugural year, people were…

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Headlines: The latest on vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties – January 25, 2019
January 25, 2019
Headlines: The latest on vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties – January 25, 2019

This is our twice-monthly round-up of news stories covering challenges related to vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties — and how communities are transforming these properties into assets….

Read More »
Building equitable communities: It takes systems reform, collaboration, and community wealth-building
August 7, 2018
Building equitable communities: It takes systems reform, collaboration, and community wealth-building

The day-to-day work of community revitalization is intense and consuming. For all the talk of “breaking down silos,” it is a challenge to carve out the time…

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A Green Culture Shift: Changing Perspectives on Open Space in Detroit
March 8, 2018
A Green Culture Shift: Changing Perspectives on Open Space in Detroit

Whether it’s the roughly 120,000 vacant lots like Detroit, or the roughly 14,000 vacant lots in the City of Baltimore, vacant lot statistics are enough to keep…

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Aaron Sukenik on Sustaining Storefront Activation in Downtown Pittsburgh: An RVP Speaker Spotlight

We asked one of our speakers to preview his walking tour at the 2026 Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference, and what you’ll learn by attending.

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Get Ready for the ROAD to Housing Act: Steps to Take Before Accessing New Housing Funds

What the ROAD to Housing Act contains relating to community revitalization and vacant property reuse.

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What Pung v. Isabella Means for Communities Dealing with Vacant, Tax-Delinquent Property

What communities dealing with property vacancy, abandonment, and tax delinquency should expect following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Pung.

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Proposed Housing Legislation in the 119th Congress: What Land Banks Need to Know

Guidance for land banks on emerging housing legislation moving through Congress.

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How Vacant and Abandoned Buildings Affect Communities

Learn how vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties—referred to by some as “blighted properties”—pose significant costs to public health, property values, and local taxpayers.

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How Land Banks and Under-Resourced Developers Can Collaborate to Build Affordable Housing

Ways that land banks and under-resourced developers can collaborate to build green, affordable infill housing.

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What are Proactive Rental Inspection Programs?: Keeping Homes Occupied and Communities Healthy

Proactive rental inspection programs shift code enforcement from reactive to strategic, identifying health hazards like lead paint, mold, and broken heating before they harm tenants or push properties toward vacancy. Learn how local governments design effective programs, with examples from cities across the country.

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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…

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Why Home Repair Programs Are Essential for Preventing Property Vacancy and Abandonment

Home repair is a core strategy to stop properties from becoming vacant in the first place.

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How Better Data Helps Communities Address Vacancy

What data sources you should be looking at if you’re interested in understanding, tracking, and solving property vacancy in your community.

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