Publications

Community Progress publishes reports, case studies, and toolkits to help communities across the country turn vacant spaces into vibrant places. Download hundreds of free resources today, and sign up for our newsletter to receive the latest publications directly in your inbox.

Cover page of the Cleveland Code Enforcement Training Guide

Code Enforcement System

Cleveland Code Enforcement Training Guide
A Strategic Curriculum for Local Practitioners

A curriculum for training code enforcement officers, focused on compliance without unintended harm.

cover image of recommendations to wayne county report

Land Banks, State & Local Analysis

Recommendations for the Wayne County Land Bank
Regarding Approach to Acquisition and Disposition of Nontraditional Properties

The memo outlines 12 recommendations for the WCLB to improve disposition of challenging properties, strengthen partnerships, and align operations with broader goals for housing, sustainability, and economic development.

Land Banks

Detroit Land Bank Authority Strategic Plan
Next Five: 2025–2030 Strategic Plan

“Next Five” is a strategic plan for the Detroit Land Bank Authority for 2025-2030, developed by Community Progress in partnership with DLBA.

Code Enforcement System, Land Banks

Recommendations for the Hopkinsville and Christian County Landbank Authority
Addressing Vacant and Abandoned Properties through Code Lien Foreclosure

Guidance for dealing with the community’s vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties.

Land Banks

Emergency Housing in Rural Upstate New York
How Land Banks May Help Address the Crisis

Ways that land banks in rural communities can use their powers to help address homelessness and emergency housing needs.

Brownfields, Land Banks

Emerging Practices & Practical Considerations for Land Banks & Brownfield Redevelopment
A Practical Guide

Practical guidance and case studies for land banks that want to redevelop contaminated vacant and abandoned properties.

Brownfields, Land Banks

Land Banks and Brownfields: Case Studies
Examples of Brownfield Redevelopment from Three Land Banks

Examples of how land banks have converted vacant, abandoned, and contaminated properties into community assets.

Land Banks

Transforming the Southland by Expanding Vacant Property Development
Recommendations for the South Suburban Land Bank and Development Authority

Recommendations for improving strategic development outcomes of the land bank’s inventory, specifically focusing on developing housing.

Code Enforcement System, Local Analysis

An Assessment of Code Enforcement Strategies in Lima, Ohio
Observations and Recommendations

How Lima can address its vacant and abandoned buildings and lots to improve community wellbeing.

Land Banks, Local Analysis

Creating Homeownership Opportunities in Newark through Housing Choice Vouchers
A Newark Land Bank Case Study

How the Newark Land Bank is using Housing Choice Vouchers to help people become homeowners.

Parcel Data & Neighborhood Markets, State & Local Analysis

The Empty House Next Door
Understanding and Reducing Vacancy and Hypervacancy in the United States

In this Lincoln Institute of Land Policy publication, renowned city planner and housing advocate Alan Mallach presents effective strategies for community leaders, local officials, and nonprofits contending with vacant properties in the United States.

Local Analysis, Parcel Data & Neighborhood Markets

Catalyzing Residential Property Repair and Rehabilitation in Flint, Michigan
A Community Progress Memo to the Flint Community Development Working Group

This 2018 memo outlines recommendations for Flint, MI leaders to develop a strategic approach to residential property rehab.

Land Banks

Houston Land Banks and Community Land Trusts
A Primer for the Houston Land Bank

As the City of Houston recovers from Hurricane Harvey, local leaders are considering how tools like land banks and community land trusts can work together to transform vacant and damaged properties into affordable housing opportunities for generations to come.

Code Enforcement System, Land Banks, Local Analysis, Parcel Data & Neighborhood Markets, Property Tax System

Neighborhood Stabilization in Waterbury, Connecticut
Recommendations to Build a More Proactive and Comprehensive Approach to Vacancy and Abandonment

This report shares the findings of Community Progress’ 2017 technical assistance engagement with Waterbury, Connecticut to assess existing systems, policies, and tools used to address vacant and abandoned properties.

Property Tax System, State & Local Analysis

What Does the Sale of Property Tax Debt Mean for West Virginia Communities?
A Report on Delinquent Property Tax Enforcement and Vacant Property for West Virginia Reformers

This report shares the findings of Community Progress’ 2017 technical assistance engagement with the Huntington Urban Renewal Authority and its partners in West Virginia to build awareness around the urgency to solve VAD property issues in the state.

Land Banks, Local Analysis

Piloting New Partnership Opportunities Between a Land Bank and a Community Land Trust in Albany, New York
A Community Progress Technical Assistance Report

This report shares the findings of Community Progress’ 2017 technical assistance engagement with the Albany County Land Bank and Albany Community Land Trust to help these entities pilot a more effective, sustainable partnership.

Code Enforcement System, Land Banks, Property Tax System, State & Local Analysis

Aligning the Tools: Addressing Vacant, Abandoned, and Deteriorated Properties in Tennessee
A Community Progress Technical Assistance Report

This report shares the findings of Community Progress’ 2017 technical assistance engagement with Memphis, Tennessee to coordinate three key legal tools to address vacancy and abandonment.

Creative Placemaking, Local Analysis

Bridging Policy and Placemaking to Activate Vacant Properties
Exploring Barriers and Potential in St. Paul

The report explores how placemaking has (or has not) been incorporated into St Paul city systems, the effectiveness of such programs, and how that integration of arts and culture into city systems has impacted , or could more effectively impact, placemaking projects on vacant land.

Land Banks, State & Local Analysis

New York State Land Banks
A New National Standard

This report offers a history of the land bank movement in New York, including an assessment of the work completed to date, the factors key to success, and what to expect of this maturing movement in the years to come.

Code Enforcement System, Local Analysis, Parcel Data & Neighborhood Markets, Property Tax System

The Cost of Vacant and Blighted Properties in Pittsburgh
A Conservative Analysis of Service, Tax Delinquency, and Spillover Costs

In order to raise awareness of the true costs of vacant and distressed property in Pittsburgh, in 2016 the City of Pittsburgh retained the Center for Community Progress to perform a “cost of blight” study.

Publications

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