Blog

April 12, 2017

Learning from Baltimore’s Vacants to Value: Part II

In my first post on this theme, I wrote about the thinking behind Baltimore’s highly successful effort to get private developers and property owners to rehabilitate vacant properties…

April 11, 2017

Learning from Baltimore’s Vacants to Value: Part I

In 2010, the City of Baltimore kicked off an ambitious effort to address its vacant property challenges, an effort it called Vacants to Value (V2V). After five…

March 7, 2017

President’s Corner: Announcing next steps with gratitude for the past five years

Community Progress Friends: I write today to share the bittersweet news that I will be leaving Community Progress in the summer of 2017 to relocate abroad with…

March 7, 2017

From the Board Chair: Announcing a leadership transition at Community Progress

Dear Friends of Community Progress, It is with mixed emotions that I write, on behalf of the Board of Directors, to share with you the decision of…

February 15, 2017

You really #LoveThatLot! Highlights from the 2017 campaign

Through this year’s #LoveThatLot campaign, hundreds of people held in-person celebrations and shared photos of revitalization projects across the country. You shared your love for vacant lots transformed into farms, gas stations…

January 27, 2017

Remembering Ray Pianka

Raymond L. Pianka, judge of Cleveland’s Housing Court, died suddenly at the age of 65 early Sunday morning, January 22. As the city’s housing court judge for…

January 24, 2017

#LoveThatLot: Show your love for revitalization projects!

Update: Curious about the 2018 #LoveThatLot campaign? Learn how to get involved! Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! Why not celebrate it by sending Valentine love…

December 14, 2016

Celebrating placemaking: The role of arts and culture in community development

Placemaking, wielded skillfully, is a powerful tool to preserve, respect, lift up, and celebrate the culture of a community in ways that go far beyond aesthetics. Giving…

December 1, 2016

Why do some cities have so many vacant properties?

Tarik Abdelazim, our associate director for National Technical Assistance, wrote this blog post (cross-posted from Breathing Lights) to begin to unpack the causes of vacancy and…

November 22, 2016

Land Banks & Community Land Trusts: Not Synonyms or Antonyms. Complements

By: Emily Thaden, Kim Graziani, Annie Stup This blog post also appeared on the Shelterforce blog, rooflines.org. “For land banks to get into the affordable housing business,…

How 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.

How to conduct a neighborhood survey to assess the scale of illegal dumping and prioritize city resources for cleanup and prevention.

Five examples of creative approaches land banks have taken to addressing vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties.

Grassroots community leaders from Lafayette, Memphis, and Rochester share their stories and motivations for community revitalization.

In 2024, Community Progress doubled down on its commitment to helping local governments use code enforcement to address VAD properties.

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…

Learn how the National Land Bank Network served land banks across the country in 2024.

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.

Why Land Banks Matter

For neighborhoods burdened by systemic disinvestment; vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties often become symbols of neglect. They pose social, economic, health, and environmental hazards to communities and residents. Addressing these properties requires intervention at multiple points and systems—and one powerful tool many communities use to address vacancy and promote equitable…

That’s a Wrap on RVP 2024!

This month, we were excited to put another Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference (RVP) on the books. Our 2024 conference brought 900 people from across the country to St. Louis for three days of learning, exploration, and even dance! Day 1: The Service Project and Welcome Ceremony Every RVP, Community Progress…

Filter by Date

Topics