| Returning brownfields to productive use with the BUILD Act In early March, Senators Lautenberg (D-NJ), Inhofe (R-OK), Crapo (R-ID) and Udall (D-NM) introduced the BUILD Act – a bill that would provide communities with the tools they need to clean up and reuse brownfields. | 03/28/13 |
| How the Attorney General Foreclosure Settlements are Affecting Revitalization Efforts around the Country In February 2012, the U.S. Department of Justice, along with a group of state attorneys general from 49 states entered into a $25 billion settlement with some of the nation’s largest mortgage servicers after a lawsuit over flawed foreclosure practices. The settlement resulted in direct payments to the federal government, states and individual borrowers affected by these faulty foreclosure practices. While many states allocated the money to their general funds, a handful are dedicating a portion of their settlement money to blight elimination programs to address the vacant, abandoned and problem properties left in the wake of the foreclosure crisis. | 10/24/12 |
| New legislation helps Michigan land banksNew legislation that gives land banks the option of waving the 5/50 tax capture on eligible properties became law this week. Equally important a second provision for the first time penalizes those who do not pay the 5/50 tax and renders their properties eligible for tax foreclosure. On June 28th Governor Snyder signed both provisions into law as PA 222 of 2012, with the new legislation going into effect immediately, and was greeted with great enthusiasm by those in the field. | 06/29/12 |
| Analysis reviews legal, policy, fiscal implications of Michigan senate bills to address blight violationsFive bills were introduced in late April 2012 to the Michigan State Senate that strengthen communities' ability to deal with blight violations. This analysis from the Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency looks at both the legal and fiscal implications of this bipartisan effort. | 06/05/12 |
| New York, Missouri Municipalities Gain New Tools to Combat Blight and Rebuild NeighborhoodsWith the help of the Community Progress team, five New York municipalities are newly empowered to transform urban blight into engines of economic development. The applications of five cities and counties seeking to create land banks were approved yesterday by Governor Andrew Cuomo. This crucial step towards development will allow governments to create land banks that will help facilitate reuse of vacant or abandoned properties to better serve the public interest in their communities. The approval comes less than a year after the governor signed New York State's Land Bank Act into law in July 2011. | 05/22/12 |
| Cook County, IL passes groundbreaking vacant property registration ordinanceCook County – the county seat of the City of Chicago – unanimously passed landmark vacant property registration legislation in December 2011 that will help prevent neglect in unincorporated Cook and any of the County’s 128 municipalities that choose to participate. Community Progress worked with local groups to support the effort. | 12/28/11 |
| Congress undercuts support for American neighborhoods by defunding HUD portion of Sustainable Communities initiativeDespite thousands of phone calls, emails, letters and direct outreach to elected officials, the House budget conference committee failed to include funding for HUD’s Sustainable Communities partnership effort for the 2012 budget year. The following is a statement from Dan Kildee, President and CEO of Center for Community Progress. | 11/15/11 |
| New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signs historic land bank legislationNew York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed historic land bank legislation today, allowing municipalities to take control of problem properties and then redevelop or dispose of them in a manner consistent with the public interest. | 06/29/11 |
| New York State Assembly legislation creates land bank program to help revitalize communities with many abandoned properties In an effort to help revitalize struggling communities throughout the state with high numbers of abandoned properties, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Local Government Committee Chair William Magnarelli, and Assembly Members Sam Hoyt and Donna Lupardo announced today the passage of legislation that would allow municipalities to create land banks. | 06/17/11 |
| Pennsylvania Land Bank LegislationAnticipating the filing of state-wide land bank enabling legislation, Dan Kildee testifies to Pennsylvania Senators and Representatives about how land banks can help revitalize communities across Pennsylvania. | 06/16/11 |
