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Why Cities Need to Get Smarter About Property Taxes
June 4, 2015
Why Cities Need to Get Smarter About Property Taxes

Cross-posted from Next City, this article is one of a ten-part series inspired by the 2015 Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference. With property taxes accounting for up to 75 percent…

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Climate Change: It Does Change Everything
June 1, 2015
Climate Change: It Does Change Everything

Tarik Abdelazim serves as the Associate Director of National Technical Assistance for Community Progress. From 2010 to 2014, I served as Director of Planning, Housing and Community…

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#RVP2015: Hearing your voices at the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference
May 28, 2015
#RVP2015: Hearing your voices at the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference

At the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference held last week in Detroit, more than 1,100 attendees engaged in meaningful conversations about causes and solutions for vacancy and abandonment. But…

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Tax Day: A look at tax lien sales in Cuyahoga County
April 15, 2015
Tax Day: A look at tax lien sales in Cuyahoga County

It’s that time of year again. The time for digging out your W2’s and crossing your fingers for a big refund. That’s right — we’re talking about Tax…

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Immigration in the Motor City: Explore at the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference
April 10, 2015
Immigration in the Motor City: Explore at the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference

Post-industrial cities throughout the Rust Belt have experienced significant population loss over the last fifty years, leading to unprecedented numbers of vacant and abandoned properties. Immigrants can breathe new life…

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Spring cleaning: Vacant lot maintenance through community engagement in Flint
March 24, 2015
Spring cleaning: Vacant lot maintenance through community engagement in Flint

Spring is here at last, and for many Legacy City blight fighters, that means one thing – lot mowing and maintenance season. Maintenance, which includes mowing, waste…

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What does it take to eliminate blight? New framework offers a model
March 19, 2015
What does it take to eliminate blight? New framework offers a model

  The City of Flint Planning Commission recently adopted Beyond Blight: City of Flint Blight Elimination Framework. With a five-year implementation timeline, the Framework uses an in-depth, data-driven approach that…

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South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg: “We’re part of a movement”
March 19, 2015
South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg: “We’re part of a movement”

Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, hit the nail on the head when he shared with us his thoughts on the value of the Reclaiming Vacant…

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Building a movement at the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference
March 2, 2015
Building a movement at the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference

In just a few months, Detroit will play host to community development leaders from across the country for the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference (RVP), charting the course…

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The Next Frontier in Neighborhood Stabilization – The ReClaim Project
March 2, 2015
The Next Frontier in Neighborhood Stabilization – The ReClaim Project

By Craig Nickerson, National Community Stabilization Trust and Rebecca Regan, Housing Partnership Network In numerous communities today, REO inventories are declining and overall foreclosure rates are at five-year…

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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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Tips for a Successful Session Proposal for the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference

How to write a session proposal for the Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference that will get noticed.

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How a New Jersey Land Bank is Converting Vacant Properties into Homes for Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Holders

Learn how Newark, New Jersey is leveraging an underutilized HCV provision to make homeownership a reality for low-income residents.

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How Philanthropy Powers Land Bank Success 

Examples of how philanthropic partnerships have helped land banks launch new programs to revitalize communities.

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Five Creative Placemaking Projects Reimagining Live-Work Spaces

Examples of live-work unit projects that are transforming their neighborhoods through creative placemaking.

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How to Explain Vacant Property Work: A Plain Language Guide

Talking about community revitalization is hard. Here’s some ways to explain vacancy when people don’t understand your work.

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How Land Banks are Reusing Vacant Land to Build Climate Resilience

Examples of how land banks are transforming vacant land into climate resilience assets through flood mitigation, greening, and partnerships.

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Why You Should Attend the NLBN Summit—Even if You Don’t Work at a Land Bank

The NLBN Summit is your chance to better understand how land banks work and how they can support your goals around developing housing, reusing vacant land, and helping neighborhoods bounce back from economic decline.

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The Basics of Brownfield Redevelopment: Finding and Assessing Brownfields

Brownfield redevelopment reclaims the potential of underutilized properties, improves a neighborhood’s health and wellbeing, and can spark community revitalization.

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How Opportunity Zones 2.0 Can Leverage Existing Vacant Property Inventories

Ideas for Opportunity Zones 2.0 to leverage existing vacant properties in distressed communities, with land bank support.

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