Even in the best of times, evictions are all too common and generate excessive public costs – but COVID-19 has brought the crisis to a boiling point. In recent months, housing security has not received the same degree of public attention as employment and health, though these issues are inextricably … Read more

A previous post by Tyler Mulligan explained how North Carolina local governments can utilize land banks to address vacant, abandoned, and tax foreclosed properties in their community. Additionally, case studies of land banks in Genesee County, Michigan and Fulton County, Georgia highlighted some uni … Read more

Carolina County has been working with its largest municipality, Tar Heel Town, to  redevelop one of Tar Heel Town’s more dilapidated neighborhoods.  Many of the properties in this neighborhood are owned by absentee landlords who fail to maintain them properly.  Not surprisingly, many of these proper … Read more

Tyler Mulligan is a School of Government faculty member.  Following the 2010 session of the North Carolina General Assembly, local governments will see an essentially unchanged statutory landscape for community and economic development. Some of the highlights are discussed below. What’s the Same Nor … Read more

2009 was a record year for foreclosures in North Carolina. Now it looks like 2010 is going to be worse. In the first five months of this year, North Carolina experienced 35% more foreclosure starts as compared to the same period in 2009. (2012 update: a GAO report on vacant homes and foreclosures ca … Read more

[2011 UPDATE: For more detail on this topic, see the following 2011 book: Housing Codes for Repair and Maintenance: Using the General Police Power and Minimum Housing Statutes to Prevent Dwelling Deterioration] An earlier post on minimum housing ordinances (MHOs) explained how MHOs can be employed b … Read more