May 8 Consulting's work has provoked new laws and policies at the city and state level.   Our clients and enlightened government leaders made this positive change happen. Below we have provided two  examples of projects that resulted in significant changes to law and policy:

If We Fix It, They Will Come (October, 2004)   recommends ten specific actions the City of Philadelphia should take to modernize its development review process and reform its zoning code in order to encourage growth and private investment. 

Results: Eight out of ten recommendations have been enacted.

1. Zoning Code Commission Created  by voter referendum to rewrite outdated city's zoning code. 

2. Create Comprehensive Electronic Zoning Map  available to the public on the city's website. 

3.  Post Concierge at development review gateway to inform and advise permit applicants.

4.  Amend Zoning Code to eliminate the need for thousands of  variances.   

5.  Establish Large Scale Developer Services Team to bring all departments into a single room to evaluate large projects.

6.  Amend Inspection Scheduling System to allow requests to be made 24/7.

7.  Introduce Permit Guides to describe development review process.

8.  Modernize city's  storm water regulations and compliance review.

Reclaiming Abandoned Pennsylvania (March 2003) provided ten recommendations for changes to state law to facilitate the reuse of abandoned and blighted land. Due to the effective advocacy of the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania, five recommendations have been enacted into law.

Results: Five state laws have been passed that:

1. Eliminate the redemption period for vacant properties sold at tax sale to make properties more marketable (July 15, 2004)

2. Streamline tax foreclosure of multiple properties through single petition filing to save municipalities time and money. (July 15, 2004)

3. Encourage credit bureaus to note tax delinquency on blighted and abandoned properties on owner's credit report by requiring  municipalities to maintain key information. (February 21, 2006)

4. Allow a delinquent owner to donate property to a tax authority for tax forgiveness (February 21, 2006)

5. Permit limited letters of administration to allow redevelopment authority to administer estate where owner has died and no one has stepped forward to administer the estate. (November 29, 2006)