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Vacant properties: Real solutions to a regional housing challenge

Eric Allix Rogers (flickr)

Throughout January and February, the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) is curating a blog series on vacant properties in metropolitan Chicago. In the coming weeks, MPC's blog, The Connector — as well as the web sites of many of our partners — will feature posts from elected and appointed officials, policy advocates, finance experts, and others about the many ways we are all working together to get a handle on this growing regional and national housing and community development challenge. The opinions expressed in these posts do not necessarily reflect MPC's opinion.

Each time a new post is added, we will update this homepage, www.metroplanning.org/vacantproperties. Please bookmark this page as a resource. 

Week 1
Vacant properties blog series will examine solutions to growing regional, national housing challenge, 
by Allison Milld, Metropolitan Mayors Caucus; and Dominic Tocci, Metropolitan Planning Council

Comm. Bridget Gainer on Cook County's Vacant Buildings Ordinance
by Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer

The Chicago region’s vacant property problem: a data snapshot
by Dory Rand, President, Woodstock Institute

Week 2

Municipalities encouraged to attend 2/7 workshop on Cook County Vacant Building Ordinance, 
by Dominic Tocci, Metropolitan Planning Council

Communities working together to tackle daunting foreclosure challenges
by Dominic Tocci, Metropolitan Planning Council

Week 3

Vacant properties ordinances: Enforcement is key to success
By Braden Listmann, Housing Policy Director, Action Now

Vacant properties in Latino communities: a discouraging irony
by Juliana Gonzalez-Crussi, Policy Analyst & Housing Outreach Coordinator, Latino Policy Forum

Property registrants encouraged to attend 2/10 workshop on Cook County Vacant Building Ordinance
by Dominic Tocci Metropolitan Planning Council

Gov. Quinn announces Illinois Foreclosure Prevention Network
by Dominic Tocci Metropolitan Planning Council

Week 4

Housing collaboratives to help implement new Illinois pilot for addressing vacant, abandoned buildings
by Robin Snyderman, Metropolitan Planning Council 

Helping America's homeowners
by Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn

Week 5

Cook County’s Vacant Building Ordinance takes effect
by Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle

Fed housing finance rules stunting Chicago’s growth
by John Norquist, President and CEO, and Benjamin Schulman, Communications Director, Congress for the New Urbanism

Attorney General Lisa Madigan details $25 billion settlement with nation's largest banks
by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan

How the $25 billion robosigning settlement will impact Illinois
by Katie Buitrago, Woodstock Institute

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Keywords

Foreclosures, interjurisdictional collaboration, vacant properties

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Comments

  1. 1. Jon from Chicago on January 26, 2012

    Who wants to invest in a city. That has become an overtaxed over regulated welfare state. Provide broad based incentives to invest in Chicago not narrowly based based programs that only benefit a few. Start by taking the shackles of over regulation off of the community banks.

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