Create a community vision
It is important to have a vision for your community that will include a strategy for vacant and dilapidated property, beyond demolition. Vacant lots reduce a community’s marketability and can create health and safety issues. By determining what geographic area you want to tackle, getting impacted community members on board, and establishing a vision together, your community will be able to enlist help from local government and others to work toward your goals.
Remember to invite key stakeholders to the discussion. For suggestions on who to include, refer to the Stakeholders tool below.
This tool offers questions to consider as you develop a vision for your community.
An effective local effort includes all stakeholders throughout each step of the process to eliminate blight in a community. This tool offers steps to identify stakeholders, strategize how to get them to the table, and includes a list of suggestions for possible stakeholders in your community.
Community priorities worksheet
Once you have taken an inventory of abandoned/dilapidated properties in your community, it is important to prioritize them to determine which ones impact the community the most and require most urgent action. These questions will help ensure that the process of selection is fair.
Tools to identify and inventory problem properties
The City of Fairmont, WV recently completed their BAD Building inventory. Read about their experience.
Use this sheet to survey and document vacant and dilapidated properties in your community. It includes a checklist for conditions to look out for.
BAD Buildings Inventory Template
Use this spreadsheet to create a comprehensive database of each vacant / dilapidated property that has been surveyed, including condition notes and community priority level.
Bad Buildings Prioritization Grid
This sheet will help you to rank each vacant or dilapidated property based on certain criteria.Create a plan
Once you have created an inventory of the blighted buildings in your community, this document will guide you to assess your abandoned/dilapidated building survey, collect relevant information such as local ordinances and plans, and create a framework for the next steps to revitalizing your community. It should be used in conjunction with the survey tools. You can directly edit the document above. You can download a pdf version instead.
Develop strong leadership
West Virginia Community Development Hub
Leadership is key in developing a community-based strategy. The Hub offers workshops and training on leadership, how to assemble the best team, and how to engage your community to act.
How to create a neighborhood association
A neighborhood association is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for residents and benefits all citizens within the community, with defined geographic boundaries, association by-laws and certain other requirements.For more support in developing your community, visit the WV Hub which helps to identify leaders and assets; develop plans and set goals; and connect with a wide network of resources to meet those goals