Community Progress Blog

From the Great Recession to COVID-19: Land Banks are Critical to Long-Term Equitable Recovery

Written by on June 1, 2020

Today’s COVID-19 public health crisis is evolving. As governments and business work to anticipate the potential housing and economic crisis that could follow, there is renewed focus and interest around land banks, which gained traction after the Great Recession. Land banks are governmental entities that acquire, hold, and steward vacant, abandoned, deteriorated, and tax-delinquent properties…

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COVID-19 Impact on Michigan Communities: Risks, Interventions, Resources

Written by on May 20, 2020

There is no question. Michigan communities are encountering and will continue to feel the impacts of the COVID-19 public health and economic crisis.  As unemployment skyrockets, state and local revenue sources diminish, and public health costs soar, immediate action must be taken to preserve homes and businesses now and into the future. To help, the…

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Four Community and Economic Development Leaders Sign on to Center for Community Progress Board (Press Release)

Written by on May 19, 2020

Carey Shea, Brett Theodos, Mijo Vodopic, and Jay Williams join the Board of Directors for National Community Revitalization Nonprofit News Release (PDF) WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 19, 2020 – Today, the Center for Community Progress, America’s leading resource on issues of vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated (VAD) properties, announced that the newest appointments to its Board of Directors…

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We Will Need Code Enforcement Now More Than Ever: Three COVID-19 Responses to Protect Neighborhoods

Written by on May 12, 2020

In the sea of COVID-19 uncertainty, there are a few neighborhood-level realities we know for sure. Our neighbor’s financial constraints may postpone planned repairs – like fixing that damaged roof that’s in danger of collapsing; the tenants in the 3-flat at the corner of the block could face eviction, due to job loss and inability…

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Your Support Means [Community] Progress

Written by on May 5, 2020

#GivingTuesdayNow 6 Ways Your Support Helps Create Community Progress  For more than 10 years, the Center for Community Progress has helped America’s highest-need communities respond to the challenges of vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties. From addressing the unjust policies and impacts of America’s past to raising our voice in response to community needs today, our work helps neighborhoods…

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About Tomorrow…Giving Tuesday

Written by on May 4, 2020

Dear Progress Makers,  Your support matters. While the debates and data continue to evolve around our current public health crisis, there are at least two things we know: First, our households, streets, and world will never be the same. And second, we can’t leave the future of our communities to chance. 

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Why Investing in Communities Matters More than Ever in the Time of Coronavirus (Webinar)

Written by on April 27, 2020

Get answers! The COVID-19 pandemic is emerging as not just a health crisis but as a community crisis. What is the role of community development investment and cross-sector partnership with healthcare in strengthening resilience and equity in our post-COVID-19 world? Dr. Akilah Watkins-Butler, CEO and President for the Center for Community Progress will join Build Healthy…

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New Podcast: Community Progress CEO Shares on Leadership During COVID-19 & the “Existential Threat” to Nonprofits

Written by on April 27, 2020

How are nonprofit leaders across the United States “holding it together” during the COVID-19 pandemic? Authors and producers of Nonprofit Quarterly’s TinySpark Podcast, Amy Costello, and Frederica Boswell, recently took on the topic engaging senior-leaders across the country to better understand how the public health crisis is impacting non-profits today. Dr. Akilah Watkins-Butler, CEO and…

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Problem to Purpose: The Drug Activity Answer for One Lansing Neighborhood, Get Creative

Written by on April 21, 2020

Empty lots are open opportunities – for safety threats or community innovation. Pegasus Garden, located in the Prospect PLACE neighborhood in Lansing, Michigan, is a great example of what happens when communities choose option two. Jennifer Grau, a Prospect PLACE neighborhood resident, said the garden was created out of a need to find a use…

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Preventing Post-COVID-19 Vacancy: 6 Interventions Local Governments Should be Thinking About Now

Written by on April 20, 2020

We are still many months away from fully understanding the public health and economic fallout from COVID-19. However, history can provide some foresight into how this crisis may impact community stability and what actions local governments could examine now to mitigate these impacts. Discriminatory and unjust policies have exposed individuals and their communities to a…

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