Insights & Analysis
Expert commentary and in-depth perspectives on the trends and forces shaping property registration and municipal programs.
Legislative Spotlight
Timely updates and analysis on new laws, ordinances, and regulatory changes impacting communities nationwide.
Creativity
Innovative approaches and fresh ideas that municipalities and partners are using to strengthen neighborhoods and improve outcomes.
Judicial Spotlight
Key court decisions and legal rulings that influence property registration, municipal authority, and community well-being.
Studies
Research, case studies, and data-driven findings that provide evidence-based insights for more effective policy and practice.
Challenges Ahead
Emerging risks, obstacles, and areas of concern that municipalities should anticipate and prepare for.
New York State: Statewide Strategy to Address New York’s Housing Crisis “New York Housing Compact”
Governor Kathy Hochul announced a statewide strategy to address New York’s housing crisis. Included are; Proposed legislation to create a...
Abandoned homes can be dangerous. How can cities fight blight?
Interesting interview by American University Radio discussing why abandoned homes exist, what problems they cause, and what communities can do...
Washington Senate Bill 5060 Registration of Rental and Vacant Housing Units
In March 2022, we reported on Washington Senate SB 5825 that would require the department of commerce to convene a...
Rental Inspections – The Successes and Challenges
A recent webinar, convened by Strategic Code Enforcement Management Academy (SCEMA) discussed how to leverage Health Impact Assessments’ program and...
Scary Development? Frustration Boiling Over With Vacant Properties
The proliferation and associated dangers of fires at vacant properties are well documented. These fires are often attributed to squatters...
JAMA Study abandoned house repairs reduced nearby gun violence
Installing new doors and windows, trash cleanup, and weeding at abandoned houses in Philadelphia led to substantial drops in nearby...
Neighbors of Blighted Properties Have Same Rights as Owners of the Blighted Properties
John Newby is the author of the “Building Main Street, Not Wall Street” column “dedicated to helping communities combine synergies...
“Zombie Debt” – Foreclosing on presumed “dead” Second Mortgages
Update January 17th, 2025 The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) new blog post discusses its effort to protect homeowners from...
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution “Local governments outmatched by landlords of blighted apartment complexes”
In a thorough report, the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution focuses on the various challenges local governments face in dealing with negligent...
Adjudicated Properties Attracting No Interest From Buyers
Your community may or may not have the same volume of these types of properties as New Orleans, but the...
Neighborhood Preservation Clinic – Law School can be a great resource if you have one!
The University of Memphis School of Law’s Neighborhood Preservation Clinic is filing 25 lawsuits on behalf of the Klondike-Smokey City...
Challenge Averted in Kansas
SB510, introduced in February 2022 would “prohibit municipalities from imposing any fees or registration requirements on unoccupied residential or commercial...
Testing Public Nuisance Law
The Indiana Court of Appeals previously ruled that a law passed by the General Assembly prevented the city from using...
“Zombie Foreclosures” & “Zombie Properties” Live on in Chicago
In July 2022, a local Chicago news station reported on “Zombie foreclosures stick former homeowners with major fines from city...
“The Benefit of Brownfields” – an in-depth analysis of $272mm in grant funding
New white paper by the Greater Ohio Policy Center examines over $270 million awarded through September 2022 allocated towards the...