Foreclosure Impact Mitigation Program

About the Program

Category: Community and Economic Development (Best in Category)

Year: 2010

Prince William County has experienced record numbers of foreclosures since 2007. The volume of foreclosures and the resulting decline in the real estate market led to job reductions in construction and retail, two of Prince William’s primary employers. These declines, combined with the national recession, have led to an extraordinary number of vacant residential and commercial properties. In turn, these vacancies have led to a large increase in service demands for code enforcement including unsecured structures and pools, tall grass, weeds, trash, debris and exterior building deterioration. Over the past year, the county has taken aggressive steps to address these vacancies. Some of these actions include tightening nuisance regulations by enacting the maximum authority granted under state law, engaging residents and neighbors in community stabilization activities and conducting safety inspections for known vacant properties to reduce the possibility of criminal activity occurring in and around vacant homes. Cases were prioritized using a risk matrix to ensure that conditions with the highest impact on public safety were addressed first. Property inspectors were also provided with laptops so that violation notices could be issued from the field. During the winter of 2008, inspectors performed over 2,600 inspections of vacant homes to make sure that properties were secured and clean. These efforts have resulted in a stabilization of the housing stock and have energized community leaders to remain committed to community improvement activities.