We have previously provided studies (see below) demonstrating the connection between abandoned properties/blight and crime, specifically gun violence. Now a year after the most recent report, Philadelphia is implementing a pilot program that appears toREAD MORE
Local Property Rights Play a Crucial Role
In a recent column, nationally recognized columnist, speaker and publisher John Newby (Building Main Street, not Wall Steet) focuses on the value of effective property regulation and enforcement, to mitigate blight and its effect onREAD MORE
Hidden landlords: renters’ woes soar as property owners hide their identities
When the headline says it all! A recent article from The Guardian discusses how LLCs are utilized to hide ownership information and the status of the “LLC Transparency Act” a bill proposing disclosure of all LLC owners,READ MORE
Tax Foreclosure Challenges
Over the course of one week, three articles from across the country outlined specific challenges in utilizing tax foreclosures to address blight in their respective communities. Akron, OH: Five years after Ohio’s first coordinated foreclosureREAD MORE
White House Initiative: Converting Commercial Properties to Residential Use
The White House has announced new actions to increase the supply of affordable housing through the support of converting high-vacancy commercial buildings to residential use. Actions include: Sparking Investment through New Federal Funding and RepurposingREAD MORE
25 Year Fight to Remove Junked Vehicles
A recent article in Legal Intelligencer discusses a court ruling and its aftermath where one municipality has fought a decades long battle over operation of a junkyard in violation of its zoning ordinance. Attorneys BlaineREAD MORE
Collecting on Blight Fines – New Approach from North of the Border
Frustration (and more) with derelict property owners who rack up high penalties (as in this recent example of $131 MILLION DOLLARS) often results in several approaches. Some traditional (i.e. lawsuit) and some creative. Some comeREAD MORE
Creative Partnerships – Tool Bank USA
A recent article discussing the challenges facing Birmingham AL also focused on an upcoming creative partnership. “Soon under a new city partnership will give churches, neighborhoods and other organizations access tools to get the jobREAD MORE
Model Ordinance on Proactive Rental Inspection
In 2014, ChangeLab Solutions released a “Model Ordinance on Proactive Rental Inspection”. On Sept 18th, 2023 a new version was released. For a copy of MuniReg’s model ordinance for a Vacant/Abandoned/Foreclosure Registry, please email [email protected]READ MORE
“How Rochester (NY) plans to fix problem housing”
In June 2022, the city’s Housing Quality Task Force released a report including its list of final recommendations. A recent article in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle discusses the latest progress report from the City.READ MORE
Macro and Micro Strategies to Fight Blight
Recently two large cities announced new strategies to address blight, one creating a city-wide collaborative while the other focuses on specific requirements for the security of vacant properties. Vacancy Strategy Initiative St. Louis Community DevelopmentREAD MORE
Raising Property Values to Combat Vacancies
Several communities have implemented a “vacant property tax”. In what appears to be a similar objective, Bernalillo County (NM) Assessor is taking a new approach “revaluing properties, not based on how their characteristics at thatREAD MORE