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DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM……………………….. Committed to an ongoing effort of reclaiming vacant properties as community assets, and with generous financial support from the Surdna Foundation, the Campaign initiated an RFP application process to offer technical assistance to several cities and towns facing issues of abandonment of the built environment. 52 communities nationwide applied, ranging from large, post-industrial cities to smaller, fast-growing areas. Seven of the applicants were chosen to receive assistance in 2005 and 2006. An upcoming report will analyze the applicants and what they tell us about abandonment in the United States. ……………………….. Read about our work in each of the seven cities. Baltimore, MDBaltimore is a city that has made great strides in recent years to address its vacant land and abandoned properties. Mayor O’Malley has tackled the problem aggressively and with Project 5000, is well on the way to acquiring and disposing of 5,000 properties. Bridgeport, CTThe City of Bridgeport is interested in technical assistance to develop improved land acquisition and disposition practices to deal with its 200+ vacant properties. In Bridgeport, land acquisition takes an average of eight years, leaving vacant properties in a state of blight for too long while the need for housing continues to put pressure on the city. Buffalo, NYBuffalo LISC, with support of the city and county governments, submitted a request for a regional assessment of vacant properties issues – including the depth of the problem and existing systems and policies in place to address it – and is hoping to foster broad regional collaboration around finding solutions through the assessment process. There are approx. 23,000 parcels of vacant land and abandoned properties in city of Buffalo alone, and another 16,000 in the region. Indianapolis, INAn inventory completed in 2003 by the City of Indianapolis identified nearly 8,000 vacant residential structures in Marion County, which means that one in every 30 homes was vacant at that time. About 85 percent of these properties were located in the old city limits of Indianapolis. To begin to address the problem, the City conducted an in-depth assessment of systems and policies in 2004. Richmond, VAThe City of Richmond, in partnership with Richmond LISC, requested assistance in implementing specific strategies they’ve been considering. Richmond has done a tremendous amount of work targeting problem properties in its six Neighborhoods in Bloom neighborhoods, but is still struggling to deal with the nearly 6,000 vacant parcels and abandoned buildings in the city.
Spartanburg, SCIn most neighborhoods in Spartanburg, properties that are in poor condition often change hands for a few thousand dollars, often purchased by investors who leave them to languish. There are about 2,000 vacant and abandoned properties in Spartanburg and the City would like to move quickly to purchase these properties, once a plan for acquisition and disposition is in place. Tucson, AZIn a growth economy, Tucson is dealing with several thousand vacant properties, but needs a way to manage that inventory and count it. The City of Tucson will receive an in-depth assessment of policies, practices, inventory, challenges, and goals will give a framework within which to construct a vacant properties program over time. |
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