Open data and transparency regarding vacant and abandoned properties can result in unintended circumstances. However when discussing rental properties the benefits far outweigh the risks. As discussed in a recent Washington Post article, often rentersREAD MORE
Residential Renovation Incentive Program
The City of Denison recently publicized a new program. This is not “just a one and done” incentive, but a comprehensive program with various incentives along the way. Having the program is the main victoryREAD MORE
Operation/Project Round Up as a Blight Fight Tool
Operation/Project Round Up is a charitable program that is offered by many utility and electric companies across the country with a voluntary signup. Customers agree to have their utility bill “rounded up” to the nextREAD MORE
Surviving Code Violations – Banking Industry Perspective
Included in the Five Star Institute’s Property Preservation Executive Forum Winter Newsletter is an article titled “Surviving Code Violations – A litigation guide to handling maintenance & safety code violations in the upcoming explosion ofREAD MORE
Victory for local governments versus County government in New York State
Following is a quote from a recent article in Rochester First. “Today, the New York State Court of Appeals issued a unanimous ruling invalidating Monroe County’s 2016 policy to no longer guarantee unpaid property maintenanceREAD MORE
Atlanta Nuisance Properties – Bring Everyone to the Table
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms recently issued an Administrative Order to streamline the city’s response to nuisance properties or activities that are considered to be a threat to the public. In an interview with WABEREAD MORE
Carrot then the Stick – Payments & Rebates for Voluntary Compliance
A recent article featured an initiative in Gunnison CO “to create a positive, collaborative relationship with property owners in hopes that enforcement could be avoided.” Program included an initial financial allocation for possible incentives includingREAD MORE
NJ 2877/S1149 VPRO LEGISLATION ENACTED
Update January 18, 2022 This bill is included in a recent press release of bills signed by Governor Murphy. To view the final text of this Bill, please click here. As previously reported,READ MORE
Local Interventions For Eviction Prevention And Why They Are Needed
The Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC) has released Local Interventions for Eviction Prevention and Why They Are Needed, a guide for laying the groundwork to support Ohio renters and prevent evictions related to the COVID-19READ MORE
Nuisance Incidents vs Arrests
A recent article from Newsday discusses a recent change in Oyster Bay, NY Oyster Bay expands nuisance law on boarding up homes The Town of Oyster Bay has expanded its powers to board up houses underREAD MORE
Connecting the Dots
MuniReg has advocated registries as a tool not just to address blight but also to prevent future occurrences. A recent report on a collaboration between Hudson County executives and The Waterfront Project, Inc. shines aREAD MORE
Better local government data security can prevent property fraud
Deviating from the direct topic of blight, property registries etc., my most recent article published in American City & County focuses on information security and its (indirect) connection to blight, with an emphasis on howREAD MORE