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The Urban Land Reform Initiative
proposes a strategy that combines utilizing the online system
to identify properties followed by a course of action. The
first step is to identify at risk properties. By providing
information on multiple indicators the urban land information
system creates "actionable knowledge" by combining
several sources of data into one accessible system.
The project also seeks to direct a course
of action to transform properties into community assets. The
Providence Land Information System is a tool that can be used
to assist homeowners, target areas to concentrate code enforcement,
and to acquire and dispose of underdeveloped parcels in a
timely manner consistent with neighborhood revitalization
goals. |
Step One: Identify Problem Properties
Before we can rehabilitate abandoned and unutilized, or “problem”
properties, we have to find them. The Urban Land Reform Initiative
defines a "problem property" as a legal parcel of land
that is not being utilized or, more severely, that appears to be
abandoned. A problem parcel may or may not have a building on it.
A property that is persistently dormant or grossly
unattended is usually apparent to the eye; however, the City and
nonprofits must know where to look, both now and in the near future.
Awareness of properties that are currently a problem is a matter
of communication within government and between government and the
community. The goal is a speedy return of the problem property to
productive use and good fiscal standing.
Like Providence, several cities have created neighborhood
early warning systems (NEWS) to alert community advocates and policy-makers
to at risk properties. These Web-based systems integrate and map
data to locate distressed properties. City agencies, housing advocates,
and neighborhood groups can consult NEWS to locate troubled properties
or to inform strategies to improve declining neighborhoods. Find
out more information on similar projects in other cities
here.
The Providence Land Information System serves as an early warning sysetm by providing a selection
of data items that intuitively relate to a property's likelihood
for abandonment. Information such as the status and history of tax
compliance, property details from the assessor's database, and the
condition of the surrounding housing market help identify at risk
indicators. While there is no guarantee that any one item or combination
of items is a "red flag" for impending abandonment, these
data items are a good indicator of the health of a parcel or a neighborhood.
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Step Two: Take Action
Owner Assistance
The least intrusive technique for rehabilitating problem properties
is owner assistance. In this case, the city provides incentives
(and educational resources) for owners to re-invest in their problem
properties. Owner assistance is usually used in response to minor
property violations, land underutilization, and owner neglect related
to financial woes. The city may assist an owner by making usual
procedures easier, faster, or cheaper. Assistance can also come
in the form of information, awareness, and expert consultation for
owners of problem properties. When the city government does not
have the ability to provide such resources, it might team up with
nonprofits, financial institutions, or state agencies that can also
provide assistance.
Local resources to provide owner assistance can
be found here.
Enforcement & Penalty
For more serious problem properties, or in the case of unresponsive
owners, there should be clear and consistent legal consequences
for fiscal or physical neglect of a property. Laws and rules must
have teeth, and the City must have the resources to carry out enforcement.
Whether it is nuisance abatement, code enforcement, or debt collection,
effective policies should include:
(1) well-defined responsibilities and penalties
(2) clear notification of infraction
(3) a period for remedy before additional penalty
(4) timely follow-up if necessary
(5) heightened penalty for recurrence
Examples of successful programs in other cities can be found here.
Acquisition and Disposition
In the most extreme case of problem properties, or when
the above steps have failed, a change of ownership is the only way
to rehabilitate a problem property. In these cases, the city should
have the legal ability to take and reuse these pieces of land. The
Providence Redevelopment Agency should take the lead in managing
how the city acquires and redistributes these properties. It is
our hope that these newly acquired lots will be used by the City
and local non profits to create valuable community resources, or
new affordable housing units.
Many cities have created innovative programs to
dispose and transform vacant and abandoned property, from community
garden initiatives to citywide land banks. Read about some of these
other projects here.
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