PREVENTING VACANCY

Preventing future vacancies should be an integral part of any Vacant Property Strategy. Foreclosures often proceed because homeowners are unaware of how to communicate effectively with their lenders or are unaware of the mortgage and property tax foreclosure processes. For example, many homeowners are not aware that they may remain in their homes during the process of foreclosure thereby providing time to make alternative arrangements and assist the neighborhood with handling the impending vacancy.

Possible Actions or Responses:

Many residents and community members have become actively engaged in the education of homeowners about foreclosure prevention. Action has included neighborhood-wide door-to-door campaigns, targeted campaigns which identify homeowners facing foreclosure, and establishing neighborhood based foreclosure task forces which can direct homeowners in need to certified foreclosure prevention counseling.