by Natalie Kapustik, The Center Square | April 05, 2021 01:00 PM Print this article
More than a decade ago, Pennsylvania lawmakers passed a bill with the aim of decreasing urban blight and empowering neighborhood groups to have a say in how distressed tracts of lands are redeveloped. But recently, a group of legislators heard that things haven t worked out as many had hoped.
The Pennsylvania Senate and House Democratic Policy Committee held a virtual public hearing to hear comments about the Abandoned and Blighted Property Conservatorship Act and discuss potential changes to protect communities while eliminating blight.
Act 135, the Abandoned and Blighted Property Conservatorship Act, was passed in 2008 to allow responsible owners to take over abandoned properties and rehabilitate them.