Publications

Code Enforcement System

Code Enforcement System, Local Analysis, Property Tax System

Preliminary Assessment of Vacancy and Abandonment Challenges in Utica, NY
A Community Progress Technical Assistance Report

The City of Utica, New York engaged the Center for Community Progress to carry out a preliminary assessment of the City’s policies, programs, tools, and operations in place to address vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties.

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

Exploring Equitable, Effective, and Efficient Solutions to Vacancy and Abandonment in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
A Community Progress Technical Assistance Report

This report shares the findings of Community Progress’ 2019 technical assistance engagement with the City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina to help local officials and their partners better understand the systemic causes of and solutions to problem properties.

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

An Assessment of Market Conditions and Trends in the City of Hartford, Connecticut
A Community Progress Technical Assistance Report

This report describes neighborhood market conditions and trends in Hartford, to enable the city and other stakeholders to use this information as a critical tool to inform and develop equitable, efficient, and effective strategies to address disinvestment and decline in neighborhoods and build stronger housing markets throughout the city.

Code Enforcement System, Local Analysis

Housing and Building Code Enforcement and Vacant Properties in Columbus, Georgia
An Analysis of Legal and Policy Tools Available

This report shares the findings of Community Progress’ 2019 technical assistance engagement with the Columbus Land Bank Authority to review policies and practices related to problem properties.

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

Preliminary Assessment of Vacancy and Abandonment Challenges in Ogdensburg, New York
Observations and Recommendations

This report shares the findings of Community Progress’ 2018 technical assistance engagement with Ogdensburg, New York to support the development of a more effective, efficient, and equitable approach to problem properties.

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.

Code Enforcement System, Land Banks, Property Tax System, State/National 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.

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.

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

Tackling the Challenge of Blight in Baltimore
An Evaluation of Baltimore’s Vacants to Values Program

This report includes the results of our quantitative or statistical analysis of Baltimore’s Vacants to Value program interventions and their affects on neighborhoods.

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

Implementing a Coordinated Approach to Address the Systemic Causes of Vacancy and Abandonment in High Point, North Carolina
A Community Progress Technical Assistance Report

This report shares the findings from our technical assistance engagement with the City of High Point, North Carolina.

Code Enforcement System

Progress Points: Strategic Code Compliance
A Brief Primer

This brief explains how equitable, efficient, and effective code enforcement can be successful in preventing vacancy.

Code Enforcement System

Reevaluating Code Enforcement
A New Approach to Addressing Problem Properties

Traditional code enforcement—focused on issuing citations and fines—isn’t working in the places that need it most. A more strategic approach could change that.

Code Enforcement System

Code Enforcement Process Improvements for the City of St. Louis
Workshop Recommendations

Recommendations to make code enforcement more equitable, efficient, and effective in St. Louis, following a workshop.

Code Enforcement System, Racial Equity

A Racial Equity Audit of Louisville, Kentucky’s Code Enforcement Program
Final Memo of the VPLI Local Implementation Scholarship Program

This memo details Community Progress’ work with the Louisville Municipal Government to review its code enforcement processes through a racial equity lens.

Code Enforcement System

Equitable, Efficient, and Effective Code Enforcement
A Roadmap for Decatur, Illinois

Community Progress assessed and recommended changes to Decatur’s existing approach to housing and building code enforcement, a key component of the City’s effort to stabilize and reinvest in Decatur’s neighborhoods.

ARPA, Code Enforcement System, COVID-19, Land Banks, Local Analysis, Parcel Data & Neighborhood Markets, Property Tax System, State/National Analysis, Vacant Land Stewardship

Tackling Vacancy and Abandonment
Strategies and Impacts after the Great Recession

Ten years on from the Great Recession, we take stock of lessons learned from that crisis and how they might be applied to future challenges. This edited volume, jointly produced by Community Progress and the Federal Reserve Banks of Atlanta and Cleveland, contains twelve articles by national experts in the field of neighborhood revitalization.

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

A More Strategic Equitable Approach to Housing and Building Code Enforcement in Toledo, Ohio
A Community Progress Technical Assistance Report

Community Progress produced this report following a technical assistance engagement with Toledo, Ohio to assess the City’s approach to code enforcement.

Code Enforcement System, Local Analysis

Turning the Tide
Opportunities for the City of Bay City, Michigan to Improve Residential Property Conditions and Quality of Life

Community Progress worked with Bay City, Michigan to assess its practices and policies for addressing VAD residential properties and identify economic stability risks due to the pandemic.

Code Enforcement System, Local Analysis

Building on Success
Opportunities to Enhance Home Preservation Efforts and Commercial Vacancy Strategies in Lansing, Michigan

Community Progress worked with the City of Lansing, Michigan to assess its practices for addressing vacant property and identify economic stability risks as a result of the global pandemic.

Code Enforcement System, State/National Analysis

Revitalization in Michigan
A Guide to Transforming VAD Properties through Code Enforcement

Revitalization in Michigan: A Guide to Transforming VAD Properties through Code Enforcement breaks down leading code enforcement tools that help fight vacancy through traditional enforcement, proactive regulation, and additional strategies.