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
University of Kansas Study on Demolitions and its Affect on Crime Reduction
A recent University of Kansas study found a program demolishing more than 500 abandoned residential properties in Kansas City, Missouri, did not significantly reduce nearby violent or property crime. Hye-Sung Han, assistant professor of publicREAD MORE
Uniformity – Benefits and Pitfalls
Uniformity – Benefits and Pitfalls In the precarious and troublesome arena of blighted and abandoned properties, uniformity, best practices, and opportunity for improvement all compete for the attention of code officials, lawmakers and constituents. EachREAD 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
Doing the Right Thing…….Part Deux
Though, yes I am feeling a little nostalgic for 80’s/90’s movies, this discussion isn’t about Spike Lee , Charlie Sheen or the late, great, Lloyd Bridges. Early 2019, we wrote about specific ordinance language thatREAD MORE
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished?
Update January 3rd 2021 CBS Chicago reports, “Volunteers In Harvey Halfway Toward Goal Of Boarding Up 400 Vacant Homes” Please click here to view the article. Update October 17th CBS Chicago reports, “Volunteers Resume BoardingREAD MORE
Center for Community Progress’ 2020 VAD Academy Resource Page
Vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties plague communities of all sizes across the United States. Whether spurred by natural disasters or industry loss, these properties create compound challenges for residents and local governments. When working toREAD MORE
Weakening the Power of Code Enforcement
In a recent article (click here), a local TV station in Cincinnati discusses a Councilmember’s new initiative to have unpaid code enforcement fines no longer be applied to the property’s taxes. While the Councilmember’s intentionsREAD MORE