By Jocelyn Bogen and Gene Lowe
July 2, 2012

Vacant and Abandoned Properties Task Force Co-Chair Columbia Mayor Steven Benjamin led an engaging session on June 15 in Orlando on how mayors are implementing vacant lot revitalization efforts and utilizing tools and federal resources to manage abandoned properties in cities.

The task force members met to continue their work on an issue which many mayors still consider very important to cities across the nation. The past work of the task force includes four reports and surveys. In each, mayors have shared best practices to address particular problems with vacant and abandoned properties.

The first Best Practice highlighted was from Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who discussed her recently launched "Power in Dirt" initiative. "Power in Dirt" is the city's comprehensive plan to specifically address vacant lots by engaging residents and organizations in sustainable revitalization. "Power in Dirt" recognizes and builds from existing, successful efforts in the city to revitalize vacant lots. Currently, there are over 150 registered community-managed open spaces in Baltimore. After speaking with people frustrated with the bureaucracy that impeded their efforts to revitalize blighted vacant lots through the Vacants to Value program, Rawlings-Blake made a series of changes as part of the Power in Dirt initiative, which include making a comprehensive inventory list, streamlining and simplifying the application process, and creating comprehensive and coherent policy and procedures to help people access water more easily and more cheaply. In addition the city has employed four full-time AmeriCorps VISTA members to help residents and organizations in the community to identify lots they want to commit to revitalize, adopt the lot, access water, connect to city and other existing resources available to them, and help them plan and implement their revitalization.

Wells Fargo REO Community Development for Premier Asset Services Vice President Tyler Smith briefed mayors on the issue of property disposition in the Housing Forums that the Conference of Mayors and Wells Fargo are holding in cities across the nation, and gave an overview on how they mange property preservation through default and REO.

The final speaker was Gary Causey, HUD Director of Community Planning and Development in the Jacksonville office. He discussed the impact of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) and some of the ways cities have used technical assistance which has led to successful implementation for NSP grantees.