Wednesday, May 25, 2011
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THE PROBLEM
Philadelphia has more than 40,000 parcels of vacant land – and the number is growing every year.
These blighted properties attract crime and make it tougher to build stronger families and healthy communities.
The biggest blighted property owner is the city government itself!
THE COSTS
These properties reduce our city’s wealth by $3.6 billion– that’s $8,000 for each and every family!
Vacant land and buildings cost our city and schools $70 million – and counting – in lost taxes.
Vacant land requires $20 million of our tax dollars every year just for safety and upkeep.
WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT
We need to create community land trusts that will put blighted property to good use in our neighborhoods – turning blight into affordable housing, green space, urban agriculture, new businesses and more.
To do that, we need city council to pass a law that transfers vacant land to community land trusts. This law would create a Philadelphia Land Bank. The Land Bank acts like a washing machine with the following steps:
The city transfers vacant or blighted properties to the Land Bank.
Then the Land Bank cleans these properties by removing outstanding debt and taking care of legal paperwork.
Finally, the Land Bank transfers these cleaned properties to community land trusts, which are community-based and controlled organizations that take ownership of the land. The land trust leases land to people and groups who will use it to benefit the neighborhood.
WHY A LAND BANK?
A Land Bank is a public entity that converts vacant, abandoned, and tax delinquent properties into productive use, allowing communities to reclaim, reinvest in and rebuild their neighborhoods. A Philadelphia Land Bank would:
We Could Get Land We Can’t Get Now – Right now the city is required to sell its land to the highest bidder. But if it put that land in a Land Bank, the Land Bank could decide to sell it, or give it away, based on what the buyer wants to do with it. It would allow residents and neighborhoods who are most directly affected by new real estate development help determine their community’s path for growth and development
It Protects Us for the Long Haul - A Land Bank is insulated from political changes while mayors and city council members come and go.
We Could Have a Say in the Decisions – The Land Bank would be governed by a Board of Directors. State law says the board must include at least one resident and one member of a community group. And we could advocate for even more representation.
It Will Have the Money to Get Things Done – The Land Bank can issue bonds allowing it to raise money to clean blighted properties, and even to buy privately-owned blighted land for larger projects.
WHY COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS?
More than 200 communities across the country have land trusts, including Chicago, Washington DC, San Francisco and Boston. These land trusts have helped create more than 10,000 affordable homes; they also hold land for community centers, gardens and local businesses. Land trusts would help Philadelphia neighborhoods by offering:
Permanent Affordability – When the housing market gets hot and prices go up, land trusts maintain a supply of affordable housing. And because the land is owned by a community organization, it won’t be sold for projects that create nuisances or price people out of neighborhoods.
Local Decision-Making – Land trusts allow a wide variety of people from the community – residents, business owners, community groups – to have a role in making decisions about how the land will be used. Communities decide whether land should be used for housing, parks, businesses or other priorities.
Help for Homeowners, Renters and Local Businesses – Because it owns the land, a land trust can offer lower prices for people struggling to buy a home or find affordable rentals, and for businesses and community services that need a place to locate.
The Campaign to Take Back Vacant Land coalition members include:
Action United
AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power
Christ Centered Housing Ministries
Circle of Hope Church
Disabled in Action
East Park Revitalization Alliance
Liberty Resources
Neighborhood Networks
Norris Square Civic Association
Philadelphia Orchard Project
Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign
Service Employees International Union 32BJ
United Communities of Southeastern Philadelphia
Working Group for a Grassroots Movement
Women’s Community Revitalization Project
Philadelphia has more than 40,000 parcels of vacant land – and the number is growing every year.
These blighted properties attract crime and make it tougher to build stronger families and healthy communities.
The biggest blighted property owner is the city government itself!
THE COSTS
These properties reduce our city’s wealth by $3.6 billion– that’s $8,000 for each and every family!
Vacant land and buildings cost our city and schools $70 million – and counting – in lost taxes.
Vacant land requires $20 million of our tax dollars every year just for safety and upkeep.
WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT
We need to create community land trusts that will put blighted property to good use in our neighborhoods – turning blight into affordable housing, green space, urban agriculture, new businesses and more.
To do that, we need city council to pass a law that transfers vacant land to community land trusts. This law would create a Philadelphia Land Bank. The Land Bank acts like a washing machine with the following steps:
The city transfers vacant or blighted properties to the Land Bank.
Then the Land Bank cleans these properties by removing outstanding debt and taking care of legal paperwork.
Finally, the Land Bank transfers these cleaned properties to community land trusts, which are community-based and controlled organizations that take ownership of the land. The land trust leases land to people and groups who will use it to benefit the neighborhood.
WHY A LAND BANK?
A Land Bank is a public entity that converts vacant, abandoned, and tax delinquent properties into productive use, allowing communities to reclaim, reinvest in and rebuild their neighborhoods. A Philadelphia Land Bank would:
We Could Get Land We Can’t Get Now – Right now the city is required to sell its land to the highest bidder. But if it put that land in a Land Bank, the Land Bank could decide to sell it, or give it away, based on what the buyer wants to do with it. It would allow residents and neighborhoods who are most directly affected by new real estate development help determine their community’s path for growth and development
It Protects Us for the Long Haul - A Land Bank is insulated from political changes while mayors and city council members come and go.
We Could Have a Say in the Decisions – The Land Bank would be governed by a Board of Directors. State law says the board must include at least one resident and one member of a community group. And we could advocate for even more representation.
It Will Have the Money to Get Things Done – The Land Bank can issue bonds allowing it to raise money to clean blighted properties, and even to buy privately-owned blighted land for larger projects.
WHY COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS?
More than 200 communities across the country have land trusts, including Chicago, Washington DC, San Francisco and Boston. These land trusts have helped create more than 10,000 affordable homes; they also hold land for community centers, gardens and local businesses. Land trusts would help Philadelphia neighborhoods by offering:
Permanent Affordability – When the housing market gets hot and prices go up, land trusts maintain a supply of affordable housing. And because the land is owned by a community organization, it won’t be sold for projects that create nuisances or price people out of neighborhoods.
Local Decision-Making – Land trusts allow a wide variety of people from the community – residents, business owners, community groups – to have a role in making decisions about how the land will be used. Communities decide whether land should be used for housing, parks, businesses or other priorities.
Help for Homeowners, Renters and Local Businesses – Because it owns the land, a land trust can offer lower prices for people struggling to buy a home or find affordable rentals, and for businesses and community services that need a place to locate.
The Campaign to Take Back Vacant Land coalition members include:
Action United
AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power
Christ Centered Housing Ministries
Circle of Hope Church
Disabled in Action
East Park Revitalization Alliance
Liberty Resources
Neighborhood Networks
Norris Square Civic Association
Philadelphia Orchard Project
Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign
Service Employees International Union 32BJ
United Communities of Southeastern Philadelphia
Working Group for a Grassroots Movement
Women’s Community Revitalization Project
Labels: Philadelphia, Take Back the Vacant Land
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