Seeking Solutions to Dilapidated Properties -
Some ideas include establishing a vacancy task force, “Vacant Property Registration” and “Foreclosure Registration” to allow these properties to be monitored for deterioration. Is there dedicated resources at code enforcement to monitor identified properties and a monitoring process? Some vacant properties become “Dead Drop” locations for drug and firearms trafficking. It may be interesting to get information from vacancy owners why the buildings are vacant. E.g. It seems that some in the highlands area have left because of increasing crime. Understanding causes of vacancy may lead to other solutions. It may be that distressed debtors and foreclosures are leading to more dilapidated properties. Others have told us they don’t live in Columbus and are content to “walk away” from their property. What programs are in place to educate and aid distressed debtors that may be identified by dilapidated properties?
https://www.communityprogress.net/ has some helpful information.
Artist & Entrepreneur Relocation Program-
Paducah, KY is quite like Columbus, MS in terms of size, economics, river towns, and main employers’ hospital and schools. (Paducah does not have a military base.)
Lower Town was a historic section in Paducah, close to downtown, that was struggling despite once being a thriving area. The city, with help from others, decided to recruit artists and entrepreneurs and offer incentives to purchase dilapidated homes and fix them up. It helped reduce the large inventory of homes, improved home sales, and property values. It ended up being quite successful. The Queen City neighborhood leading into Highlands may be an area that could be an entertainment/artist district.
Paducah is 2019 Kentucky Network Main Street Community, serves as a model for communities throughout the nation. Selected by a nationwide jury of community development experts, Paducah proves that incremental progress and persistence pay off, creating economic vitality, a unique sense of place, and a greater commitment to community by all of its residents.
http://www.livable.org/livability-resources/287-paducah-artist-relocation-program
https://capebretonspectator.com/2017/02/15/paducah-kentucky-artist-relocate/
http://paducahky.gov/paducah-main-street
Zombie Abatement and Prevention (ZAP) Bill concept that we presented to Congressman Trent Kelly:
Some mortgage service organizations that service mortgages owned by Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) are harming neighborhoods, towns, and cities in the United States by allowing vacant, unsecured, deteriorating properties to languish with inaction. Once a mortgage default has occurred and the potential for cure by the debtor is considered remote, foreclosure action should be swift and effective to preserve neighborhood safety and value. An evaluation of the property should be conducted, and a plan of disposition devised.
Within the real estate industry, the term “Zombie Property” pertains to properties that have been abandoned by the mortgage debtor but have not been brought to market by the mortgage holder. These Zombie Properties are tremendously detrimental to neighborhoods.
To allow a property to sit vacant for a long period of time will inevitably lead to a deterioration of the property and a depression of value for surrounding properties. Vacant properties become an attractive nuisance that absorb municipal resources to monitor through police and code enforcement. The distress to neighbors of residing next to vacant, especially habitually vacant/unsecured properties, may reach such levels that others, particularly renters, leave the neighborhood. The vacancies are a contagion to the local real estate market and eventually the only remaining residents in such neighborhoods may be the elderly, disabled, and apathetic that lack the ability or resilience to move.
Bringing foreclosed properties to market removes the uncertainty that bank owned properties. Once a property is sold back into the private sector, neighborhoods can be rebuilt. Neighbors can buy dilapidated properties that are not worth repair and demolish structures increasing green space. Alternatively, properties can be rehabilitated into attractive, productive, properties that do not cause neighborhood distress. Regardless of the potential outcomes, FNMA and mortgage service organizations that are not part of the community should not hold the future of neighborhoods, towns, and cities hostage through inaction.
Mortgage servicers and FNMA should pursue the quick release of properties securing the mortgages. Proposing that mortgage servicers that service FNMA owned mortgages abide by rules of conduct may help. Implementing fines or restricting privileges to work with FNMA for would be necessary to have enforcement of the rules of conduct.
It appears that the State of New York may be a leader in Zombie Property legislation. It may be that rather than treating the symptoms of Zombie Properties but preventing Zombie Properties through FNMA directives would be more efficient.
https://www.fanniemae.com/portal/research-insights/perspectives/082714-pawlowski.html
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/zombie-foreclosures.html
Great American Clean Up: Litter Study 2021. Use data to learn what works and what doesn’t. Many studies show that commercial properties create much more litter than individuals. Their data also indicates that a littered area tends to attract more litter so reporting littered areas to remediate quickly may be a valuable tool. The city has a some pretty good garbage anti-litter laws but the enforcement of those laws appear to be a low priority. Maybe the city could have "deputy" code enforcement for litter control targeting commercial violators. SeeClickFix could be used as a recommended solution for an app to report litter.
https://kab.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Litter-Study-Summary-Report-May-2021_final_05172021.pdf https://kab.org/programs/great-american-cleanup/event/
Check out what our neighbors are doing and mimic the successful ones. Tupelo's downtown revitalization is winning national awards. Perhaps we could replicate their success story in turning the old Fairgrounds into something else and work on filling our downtown space.
The Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association won a national award for its efforts to revitalize downtown. The National Main Street Center gave the DTMSA the 2020 Great American Main Street Award. According to the center, the award "is the nation's top award for communities that have excelled in comprehensive preservation-based downtown revitalization."
Among the improvements cited were a 9 percent drop in the business occupancy rate over 30 years, 83 businesses opening over the last decade and turning the old Tupelo Fairgrounds into the Fairpark District. Other Main Street groups winning the national award include Boyne City, Michigan and Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Check out what other mayor’s have done successfully, like St. Petersburg’s Rick Baker. Read his book: The Seamless City: A Conservative Mayor's Approach to Urban Revitalization that Can Work Anywhere. Or watch his TED TALK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9yuSUKT_ds&t=7s