Orange chosen to participate in Harvard Institute as model for neighborhood stabilization.

Mayor Eldridge Hawkins, Jr. announced today that the Center for Community Progress (CCP) at Harvard University has selected Orange as a model to participate in a Leadership Institute addressing the issue of vacant and abandoned properties. According to the CCP, “Cities invited to be part of the Community Progress Leadership Institute have demonstrated a commitment to taking a systemic approach to the problems of vacant and problem properties in their communities, as well as the capacity to carry out such an approach. The participating cities will be used as national models to address vacant and abandon property.”

Valerie Jackson, Director of Planning and Development and Stephanie Gidigbi, Orange Chief of Staff will attend. The Institute will kick off with a week-long program beginning March 14, 2011 at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where representatives of the participating states and cities will learn new ideas and approaches and share their successful practices. The participating cities will have access to experts to help them implement strategies and tools to solve the problem of troubled properties. Following the Institute, participants will have ongoing access to assistance from Center staff and partners.  

The Institute will focus on issues including:
Creating and using data systems to identify and track vacant and problem properties.
Evaluating the reuse potential of vacant properties to maximize revitalization opportunities.
Exploring ways to streamline cities’ tax collection, tax lien, and foreclosure systems to increase efficiencies, maximize revenues, and increase the overall rates and amounts of collection.
Creating policy frameworks and cost-effective systems for cities to hold, maintain and dispose of properties, and to ensure compliance with property maintenance and improvement standards by private owners.
Identifying  creative  collaborations among stakeholders to further neighborhood-level revitalization.
Identifying  potential sources of funding and financing.
Utilizing legal tools to gain control of vacant and foreclosed properties.
Establishing benchmarks to track results over time.

Statement by Mayor Eldridge Hawkins, Jr.
“Orange was selected to participate in this Institute because of our success in implementing a comprehensive approach to neighborhood stabilization, from creation of our Quality of Life Task Force, to our strategy to rehabilitate or demolish abandoned properties, to our replacement of the decayed Walter G. Alexander public housing with a new revitalized neighborhood.”

Statement by Valerie Jackson, Orange Director of Planning and Development
“At the NJ Urban Mayors Association Annual Meeting in November, Orange was praised for its Vacant and Abandoned Property Strategy by Diane Sterner, Executive Director of the Housing and Community Development Network and Wayne Meyer, president of New Jersey Capital Management.  Harvard’s choice of Orange to participate in this Institute is additional recognition of our city’s leadership in dealing with the impact on neighborhoods of the national recession.”