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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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President’s Corner: Fresh approaches to the “preventive medicine” of vacant property revitalization
December 17, 2015
President’s Corner: Fresh approaches to the “preventive medicine” of vacant property revitalization

At Community Progress, we seek to help communities that are dealing with entrenched, often large-scale vacancy and abandonment in their neighborhoods. This is critically important, but it…

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Charting a new way forward through attorney-practitioner partnerships: Part II —Milwaukee
December 15, 2015
Charting a new way forward through attorney-practitioner partnerships: Part II —Milwaukee

This is the second in a two-part series exploring how strong working partnerships between practitioners and attorneys can give rise to innovation in the work to reclaim…

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Charting a new way forward through attorney-practitioner partnerships: Part I—Syracuse
December 15, 2015
Charting a new way forward through attorney-practitioner partnerships: Part I—Syracuse

This is the first in a two-part series exploring how strong working partnerships between practitioners and attorneys can give rise to innovation in the work to reclaim…

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#LotsofThanks: Recognizing revitalization champions
December 8, 2015
#LotsofThanks: Recognizing revitalization champions

All across the country, dedicated leaders are working day and night to combat vacancy and transform their communities. From the scrappy grassroots organizers to the forward-thinking public servants…

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Two new resources to inform short- and long-term vacant land reuse
November 23, 2015
Two new resources to inform short- and long-term vacant land reuse

When it comes to vacant land reuse, perhaps no other city in the nation faces as great of a challenge and as much of an opportunity as…

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#LotsofThanks: Recognizing revitalization champions!
November 17, 2015
#LotsofThanks: Recognizing revitalization champions!

Last February, we decided to run a Valentine’s Day campaign we called #LoveThatLot, asking you to use the hashtag to share photos of formerly vacant lots that…

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New research finds investment in neighborhood stabilization pays off—and more is needed
October 9, 2015
New research finds investment in neighborhood stabilization pays off—and more is needed

“House prices have sufficiently recovered and foreclosure activities have sufficiently abated.” That was the faulty argument made this past July to support a U.S. Senate proposal that…

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Three communities selected for the Technical Assistance Scholarship Program
September 16, 2015
Three communities selected for the Technical Assistance Scholarship Program

Community Progress launched the competitive Technical Assistance Scholarship Program (TASP) in 2014, to help us find and support today’s pioneers in the work to reclaim and revitalize…

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National Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference comes to Baltimore in 2016!
September 10, 2015
National Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference comes to Baltimore in 2016!

We are pleased to announce that the seventh national Reclaiming Vacant Properties (RVP) Conference will come to Baltimore, Maryland, next year on September 28-30, 2016! The conference…

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Baltimore and Detroit get aggressive with nuisance properties
August 7, 2015
Baltimore and Detroit get aggressive with nuisance properties

Cross-posted from Next City, this article is one of a ten-part series inspired by the 2015 Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference.  With a staggering 84,000-plus 90,000 vacant properties…

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Ira Goldstein on Lessons in Redevelopment Without Displacement from Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood Neighborhood: An RVP Speaker Spotlight

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

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Jack BeVier on Rethinking Vacant Property Strategy in an Era of Private Reinvestment: An RVP Speaker Spotlight

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

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

We asked our speakers to preview their 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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