Blog

Home » Blog

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.

Filter by Date

Topics

How to Prevent and Reduce Illegal Dumping
February 5, 2024
How to Prevent and Reduce Illegal Dumping

Cities spend millions each year cleaning up illegal dumping. What if they tried to make vacant lots less appealing to dumping in the first place?

Read More »
Tips for a Successful Session Proposal for the 2024 Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference
January 30, 2024
Tips for a Successful Session Proposal for the 2024 Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference

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

Read More »
New Study Shows Land Bank Ownership of Vacant Lots Can Reduce Violent Crime
December 18, 2023
New Study Shows Land Bank Ownership of Vacant Lots Can Reduce Violent Crime

A vacant lot owned and cared for by a land bank sees a greater decrease in crime compared to privately owned lots, finds 2023 study in Flint, MI.

Read More »
2023 Roundup: Federal Policy Developments in Neighborhood Revitalization 
December 18, 2023
2023 Roundup: Federal Policy Developments in Neighborhood Revitalization 

Learn about FHA Improvements to the 203(k) Rehab Mortgage Program and other 2023 federal programs and policies in community revitalization you might have missed. 

Read More »
2023 Year in Review: National Land Bank Network
December 12, 2023
2023 Year in Review: National Land Bank Network

Some highlights from National Land Bank Network and the land banking field in 2023.

Read More »
State of Land Banking: 2023 Survey Highlights 
December 12, 2023
State of Land Banking: 2023 Survey Highlights 

Key takeaways, data, and charts from the 2023 State of Land Banking survey.

Read More »
Answering Big Questions Following Tyler v. Hennepin County
November 28, 2023
Answering Big Questions Following Tyler v. Hennepin County

Answering the most common and important questions we’ve heard about property tax foreclosure in the wake of Tyler v. Hennepin County.

Read More »
ARPA SLFRF Update: Interim Final Rule Expands Eligible Uses
October 12, 2023
ARPA SLFRF Update: Interim Final Rule Expands Eligible Uses

The ARPA SLFRF expanded eligible uses allow funds to be deployed to help address vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties in new ways.

Read More »
What Is a Tax Lien Sale and Why Is It a Bad Way of Dealing with Vacant Properties?
October 9, 2023
What Is a Tax Lien Sale and Why Is It a Bad Way of Dealing with Vacant Properties?

Tax lien sales are one way that cities and counties try to recoup some of the public dollars they’ve spent maintaining properties abandoned by private owners. But tax lien sales rarely fix the problem, nor lead to a vacant property being returned to productive use. 

Read More »
Helping Land Banks Advance Racial Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
September 27, 2023
Helping Land Banks Advance Racial Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

In the Land Bank DEI Learning Cohort, eight land banks learned how to disrupt racial injustice to better serve their communities.

Read More »
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.

Read More »
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.

Read More »
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.

Read More »
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.

Read More »
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.

Read More »
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.

Read More »
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.

Read More »
Five Innovative Approaches from Land Banks Across the Country

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

Read More »
Meet the 2024-25 Cohort of Community Revitalization Fellows

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

Read More »
Our Commitment to Code Enforcement: 2024 Recap

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

Read More »