Albany County Government: Albany County Legislature's Blight To Betterment Task Force Seeks To Address Blighted, Vacant Properties

Press release from the Albany County Government:

09/13/2021 2:51 pm

Over the past year, members of the Albany County Legislature’s Blight to Betterment Task Force have been compiling data regarding the impacts that blight and vacant properties have on municipalities in order to develop long-term solutions to ensure a better quality of life for County residents.

On Monday, September 13, the Blight to Betterment Task Force released its findings in a 13-page report which outlines the ongoing obstacles municipalities face in addressing blight, and makes several legislative recommendations to help return those properties to productive use, increase property values, and facilitate homeownership.

“This report represents the first of many steps that are needed to combat blight within our community. The task force and the report itself offers a systematic and collaborative approach to dealing with blight and abandoned property while also providing a roadmap for the next set of actionable legislation or recommendations,” said Legislator Matthew Peter, Co-Chair of the Blight to Betterment Task Force. “I want to thank Chairman Andrew Joyce for establishing this task force and all the other legislative members and stakeholders who joined and furthered the conversation.”

“Quality, affordable housing is a universal basic need for individuals and families. Strong housing infrastructure is essential to neighborhood and community sustainability. The Albany County Legislature, through the Blight to Betterment, has made a commitment to linking these two objectives. It is incumbent upon us to continue conversations that will provide financial resources, technical assistance and professional construction contractors to rebuild housing stock throughout Albany County. This report offers a beginning. Partnerships with local financial institutions, Albany County Land Bank, Community Loan Fund, The Land Trust, and others yet to be identified, offer promise for a region that can be “built back better,” stated Legislator Carolyn McLaughlin, Co-Chair of the Blight to Betterment Task Force.

The Blight to Betterment Task Force convened in June 2020 and was charged with reviewing policy, practices, and procedures in order to formulate a plan to return blighted property to functional, productive use.

The Task Force consisting of Legislators, staff and community stakeholders – including City of Albany, New York State Homes and Community Renewal, and the Albany County Land Bank – discussed how untended property and buildings were currently being addressed and how various partners could work together to prevent vacancies, ensure security of properties, and increase homeownership throughout the County.

The Task Force found that zombie properties, the difficulty in serving notice to absentee landlords, code violations backlogs and a lengthy foreclosure and bankruptcy process were among some of the issues that exacerbate the problem.

Key recommendations outlined in the report include creating a database to identify problematic property owners; amending fine structures; amending state laws; creating pilot programs to adjudicate code violations; improving rent-to-own opportunities; expanding partnerships between financial and community institutions and much more.

Since the inception of the Blight to Betterment Task Force, the Legislature has begun to address certain items. In April, the Legislature adopted a local law designed to shorten the time that certain properties take to foreclose, and is currently working with the Capital Region Building Trades on measures that could potentially provide cost-effective solutions to buildings in need of structural help.

“The Blight to Betterment report is proof that we are committed to restoring blighted properties while also encouraging homeownership to help improve Albany County's neighborhoods,” stated Legislature Chairman Andrew Joyce. “I want to thank the members of the Blight to Betterment Task Force for the countless hours they have invested in drafting this comprehensive report so that we may provide additional resources and tackle this issue head on.”

The Blight to Betterment Task Force will continue meeting for quarterly updates and progress reports on effectuating the recommendations in the report.

To review the full report, visit: https://www.albanycounty.com/legislature/blighttobettermentreport.

This press release was produced by the Albany County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.