Plans are beginning to take shape for a Philadelphia land bank, a development that would make it easier for the city to deal with vacant and blighted properites. Council is likely to start considering the bill in the new year.
The rest of the properties are in private hands—about 17,000 of them are tax delinquent, according to a 2010 consultant's report. In many cases, the properties have been vacant so long the listed owners are dead or virtually impossible to find.
Anyone wanting to assemble vacant parcels—developers, nonprofits, and even neighbors who want to start a community garden—have to navigate the maze of ownership.
About a decade ago, Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia needed three years to assemble 20 parcels in the 1800 block of North 18th Street—a project that eventually yielded 14 new houses.
Original Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer
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