A headline like this “Aroostook County landfill cuts towns a break on blighted buildings” shouldn’t be newsworthy, as collaboration between all levels of government should be the norm. However as it appears to not beREAD MORE
Community Highlight: Memphis TN Neighborhood Preservation Clinic
Previously reported in November 2022, The University of Memphis School of Law’s Neighborhood Preservation Clinic represents the City of Memphis in public nuisance lawsuits seeking recourse against the owners of badly neglected, vacant and abandonedREAD MORE
Community Highlight: Toledo OH Neighborhood Associations Website/Map
In a full length feature, WTVG discussed various efforts underway in Toledo to address blight. Community engagement is a critical component of any successful strategy. What we hope to be an ongoing feature highlighting uniqueREAD MORE
Colorado Lawmakers Target HOAs
Originally reported on in May 2022, Colorado homeowners were experiencing what was reported as “predatory” behavior, such as aggressive code violation enforcement and penalties, along with foreclosure. Now in a feature from the Denver Post:READ MORE
CCP Reevaluating Code Enforcement: A New Approach to Addressing Problem Properties
The Center for Community Progress has released a new report titles “Reevaluating Code Enforcement: A New Approach to Addressing Problem Properties” advocating for shifting from traditional code enforcement to the more strategic approach of code compliance. Per the Center’sREAD MORE
Combatting Blight Through Pre-Permitted Housing Plans
A recent feature in Strong Towns discusses how Kalamazoo is utilizing Pre-Permitted Housing Plans to address blight. Following an innovative expansion upon a neighboring community’s concept of pre-approved plans they embarked on a proof ofREAD MORE
Cleaning up the built environment to reduce crime
Below please find a recent post by the Niskanen Center, a nonprofit public policy organization named the “The Most Interesting Think Tank in America” by TIME Magazine in 2023. Key Takeaways: In cities crime isREAD MORE
Illegal Dumping Creating Mental Health Challenges
Bernadette Hohl, a senior research investigator with the Penn Injury Science Center and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s Injury Prevention Program partnered with the University of Michigan Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center to analyzeREAD MORE
Questioning Enforcement of Eviction Policy
One local Mayor is questioning his community’s current eviction policy that may discriminate against renters, while homeowners exhibiting similar problems do not get the same treatment. As communities struggle with finding the proper balance inREAD MORE
Landlord Engagement Lab Toolkit
A collaboration between National League of Cities and the Stanford Legal Design Lab has created an updated Landlord Engagement Lab Toolkit. “This toolkit includes a series of resources developed for city leaders interested in buildingREAD MORE
New York State Keeps the Focus on Zombie Properties
State Senator Brian Kavanagh, Chair of the Senate Committee on Housing, Construction and Community Development, announced that the Senate Housing Committee convened its first meeting of the new legislative session and advanced several significant billsREAD MORE
St Louis Post Dispatch Op-Ed: Taking Matters into One’s Own Hands “Ruling on McKee nuisance property should prompt more neighbors to sue”
A recent editorial discusses a ruling by St. Louis Circuit Court Judge Michael Stelzer in favor of a neighborhood association in its nuisance suit with a prominent local investor. The article advocates for neighbors ofREAD MORE