Abandoned Housing

Strategies and Resources for Abandoned Housing

Abandoned properties have been, and continue to be, blights upon communities throughout our region. They discourage both neighborhood stability and revitalization. Abandoned properties invite criminal activity, create public health problems, diminish the property values of neighboring properties and increase the risk of property damage through arson and vandalism. Abandoned properties adversely affect the quality of life for both residents and business operators in the areas in which they exist.

Triad Associates can assist municipalities in developing strategies to help them manage these properties in a way that is beneficial for the entire community. So where should a municipality begin in preparing an effective strategy to return abandoned properties to productive use?

Our previous experience has shown that one of the first steps is to assess the abandoned and vacant property issue in the community and measure the impacts caused to the community.  The goal is to then, using the tools allowed under the NJ Abandoned Properties Rehabilitation Act (APRA) and other non-APRA tools, develop strategies to match your local market conditions which will allow you to:

• Get Owners to Maintain Properties
• Gain Control of Properties
• Develop a Plan to Deal with Foreclosures
• Develop Effective Strategies to Return Abandoned Properties to Productive Use AND Turn these liabilities into assets.

Following are options that can be utilized in developing your municipalities overall strategy:

Initial Planning/Strategy Options to Define the Problem and Establish Goals:

• Establish an Abandoned Properties Committee; Build Community Partnerships
• Develop a Recommended Reuse Strategy for abandoned properties; a Strategy for How to Move Properties from Abandonment into a plan for Redevelopment
• Appoint a Public Officer
• Inventory Development
• Mapping
• Market Analysis
• Grant and Other Resource Identification
• The One or Two-House Solution

Implementation Options

Explore the full range of Options through the NJ Abandoned Property Rehabilitation Act (APRA) and NON -APRA options, including the below list of "tools". The tools afforded to municipalities under APRA provide options for acquiring and conveying properties  for redevelopment

Tools

• Develop an Abandoned Property List
• Special Tax Sales
• Accelerated Foreclosure of Abandoned Properties
• Spot Blight Eminent Domain
• Vacant Property Receivership
• Vacant Property Registration Ordinance
• Out of State Creditor Law

Longer Term Options

• Assessing the True Costs of Abandoned & Vacant Housing
• Land Use and Code Revisions
• Comprehensive Abandoned Housing Strategy

Links for Further Information:

https://www.hcdnnj.org/gaining-control-of-abandoned-properties

https://www.njlm.org/DocumentCenter/View/274/Beyond-Code-Enforcement-Understanding-and-Using-Vacant-and-Abandoned-Property-Tools-in-Your-Municipality-PDF?bidId=

https://hcdnnj.memberclicks.net/assets/documents/npt_abandonedproprehabact.pdf

https://www.hcdnnj.org/getting-owners-to-maintain-properties