Vacant and Deteriorated Properties

Reactivating problem properties with legal and policy tools can reduce crime and foreclosure and increase property investment. May 8 has created dozens of new tools and programs at the state and local level to eliminate blight and hold owners accountable.

Strategic Equitable Approach to Housing and Building Code Enforcement in Toledo, Ohio

May 8 and the Center for Community Progress assessed the city’s approach to housing and building code enforcement and offered a series of recommendations to make the system more equitable and effective at preserving affordable privately owned housing and encouraging reuse of vacant properties. Recommendations include decreasing reliance on criminal misdemeanors to encourage owners to … Continue reading Strategic Equitable Approach to Housing and Building Code Enforcement in Toledo, Ohio

Village of Monticello Problem Properties Remediation Action Plan

Remediate long-term vacant properties with New York state-authorized legal tools Leaders of the village of Monticello in New York State seek to bring long-term vacant and abandoned buildings back into productive reuse and ensure that the village’s housing is safe, healthy, and code compliant. This action plan maps Monticello’s housing markets, identifies its problem properties, … Continue reading Village of Monticello Problem Properties Remediation Action Plan

ABA Vacant and Problem Properties Book: A Guide to Legal Strategies and Remedies

This invaluable practical resource published by the American Bar Association provides a thorough introduction to the legal and policy issues associated with vacant and problem properties, how to take action to revitalize them, and how to frame effective and defensible local ordinances and regulations. It also addresses the benefits and challenges of creating land banks, … Continue reading ABA Vacant and Problem Properties Book: A Guide to Legal Strategies and Remedies