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
Owner’s Names – To Disclose or Not? New Method……QR Codes
7.13.2021 A recent article in the Baltimore Sun/Washington Post article provides further insight into the new program For more information, please click here. 5.26.2021 Following up the below September 2020 report, the City of BaltimoreREAD MORE
Revitalization in Michigan – A Guide to Transforming Vacant, Abandoned, and Deteriorated Properties through Code Enforcement
Authored by Payton A. Heins, Associate Director of Michigan Initiatives and Matt Kreis, General Counsel, this new resource “breaks down nine leading code enforcement tools that help fight vacancy through traditional enforcement, proactive regulation, andREAD MORE
Massachusetts Attorney General’s Neighborhood Renewal Division
Attorney General Maura Healey recently announced the creation of the Neighborhood Renewal Division. This new division, has been created from the AG’s Abandoned Housing Initiative (AHI), a program created in 1995 to address abandoned properties.READ MORE
Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies HUD Regulations and Procedures Concerning Mortgages Near Foreclosure/End-stage Default
Rachel Bratt, a Senior Research Fellow at the Joint Center for Housing Studies and former visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, authored several Issue Briefs, offering insights about HUD’s regulations and proceduresREAD MORE
Fixing Up after Tearing Down: The Impact of Demolitions on Residential Investment
Daniel Kuhlmann, assistant professor of community and regional planning at Iowa State University recently authored a paper, suggesting that demolishing abandoned houses may lead nearby property owners to better maintain their homes. From the Abstract:READ MORE