Neighbors want to take control of their neighborhoods to protect safety, stability, and housing values. However, all too often, concerned citizens encounter roadblocks to addressing issues related to vacant property such as determining ownership of properties or a lack of information about governmental resources, policies, and processes. Through the development of vacant property plans in Detroit neighborhoods, the Detroit Vacant Property Campaign has identified a number of goals to address the issue of vacant housing and strategies for accomplishing those goals. These goals include:

• Educating homebuyers and homeowners about mortgage, property tax, and foreclosure processes to keep homeowners in their homes and avoid additional vacancies
• Developing a well organized Vacant Property Strategy which includes inventory and assessment of vacant homes
• Determining property ownership in order to hold owners accountable for the condition of their properties
• Preventing damage to vacant properties to retain home values
• Obtaining control of vacant properties for access to make repairs and market
• Getting vacant properties reoccupied
• Demolishing vacant properties to protect home values
• Managing vacant lots
• Building neighborhood capacity
• Retaining residents

Click here to get the Vacant Property Toolbox, 2nd Ed.