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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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Hardest Hit Funds demolition policy change on track to become a boon for distressed communities
July 1, 2014
Hardest Hit Funds demolition policy change on track to become a boon for distressed communities

This article was originally published in the Summer 2014 issue of Breaking Ground, our quarterly newsletter. To receive Breaking Ground in your inbox, please join our email list….

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Building a movement: Michigan Land Bank Leadership Summit
June 25, 2014
Building a movement: Michigan Land Bank Leadership Summit

“You’re going to be the vanguard for what will become a movement across the nation.” That was the call to action George McCarthy issued during a keynote…

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10 new land banks authorized in New York!
June 11, 2014
10 new land banks authorized in New York!

(Learn more about what New York”s land banks are up to in the new report,  “New York State Land Banks: Combating Blight and Vacancy in New York…

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Finding common ground in the fight against blight
May 20, 2014
Finding common ground in the fight against blight

Originally posted on The Catalyst: Ideas and Insights from Living Cities As a part of the Project on Municipal Innovation (PMI) – A network of Mayoral chiefs of staff…

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New release! Guide to redeveloping vacant commercial properties
May 6, 2014
New release! Guide to redeveloping vacant commercial properties

There’s a new resource available for communities tackling a challenging subset of blighted properties: commercial vacant properties. Redeveloping Commercial Vacant Properties in Legacy Cities: A Guidebook for…

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Webcast: Community Progress speaks on vacant properties and land banks at HUD
April 18, 2014
Webcast: Community Progress speaks on vacant properties and land banks at HUD

In conjunction with the release of HUD’s latest issue of “Evidence Matters,” Kim Graziani and Alan Mallach were invited to speak at HUD’s Quarterly Briefing last week….

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In Honor of Tax Day: A Crash Course in Tax Foreclosure Reform 101
April 15, 2014
In Honor of Tax Day: A Crash Course in Tax Foreclosure Reform 101

In the midst of flurries of W-2s and fingers crossed for refunds, we’re taking the opportunity on this Tax Day to break down a different tax-related challenge:…

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Breaking down deconstruction: What Detroit gained from dismantling instead of destroying
March 31, 2014
Breaking down deconstruction: What Detroit gained from dismantling instead of destroying

It might not be immediately obvious, but in the rubble and decay of vacant, dilapidated properties — those that are so far deteriorated, they’ve been slated for…

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Can Youngstown Make It On Its Own?
March 26, 2014
Can Youngstown Make It On Its Own?

Originally posted on the National Housing Institute’s Rooflines blog Youngstown is a small city in the hills of northeast Ohio, once famous for steelmaking; and sadly, if…

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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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What is a Land Bank?

A land bank is a public entity with unique powers to put vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties back to productive use according to community goals.

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What is a Brownfield?

Brownfield properties, often referred to as “brownfields,” are properties where the presence or potential presence of hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant makes redevelopment challenging and costly.

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What to Know About the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act in 2025

NHIA would create a new federal tax credit to support construction or rehabilitation of single-family homes in distressed communities.

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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.

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To Prevent Illegal Dumping, You Have to Know the Scale of the Problem

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

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