Vacant Spaces to Livable Places

About the Program

Category: Community and Economic Development (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

Vacant Spaces to Livable Places is New Castle County’s vacant housing strategy. It is a multi-agency effort that is addressing vacant housing in the County and repurposing these properties for occupied homes and improved communities. Vacant properties cause blight, public safety concerns, decreased property tax collections, and increased property and community maintenance costs. By clearly defining policies and processes, crafting state and local legislation to provide more ‘tools,’ and executing the program in a collaborative way, the county has reduced vacant properties by 53 percent and collected over $3.5 million in unpaid taxes, fees and fines. More importantly, neighborhoods are improving as the blight and safety issues that often accompany vacancies decrease.