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Housing and Homelessness

Housing issues affect everyone in Connecticut, from those who are searching for a safe place to live, to those who may find it increasingly difficult to afford a place they already call home.WNPR is covering Connecticut's housing and homelessness issues in a series that examines how residents are handling the challenges they face. We look at the trends that matter most right now, and tell stories that help bring the issues to light.

Abandoned And Vacant: A Look At How Connecticut Cities Are Addressing Blight

Connecticut Public Radio | By Lucy Nalpathanchil

Published August 8, 2019 at 1:29 AM EDT

Waterbury Clock Company in Waterbury, Connecticut.

Abandoned factories tagged with graffiti. Vacant properties marked by broken windows and overgrown lawns. This hour, we consider the impact of urban blight on communities and hear how some local municipalities are working to improve quality of life.

We check in with the cities of Waterbury and Hartford, where significant strides have been made to survey and address blight.

We also talk with Laura Bliss of CityLab and with a housing official in Baltimore. How effective has the Maryland city’s Vacants to Value program been at reducing the number of vacant, blighted properties? We find out.

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

GUESTS:

Dan Pesce - Community Development Planner for the City of Waterbury, Connecticut
Laura Settlemyer - Director of Blight Remediation for the City of Hartford, Connecticut and Chairperson of the Hartford Land Bank, Inc. (@LauraSettlemyer)
Laura Bliss - West coast bureau chief for CityLab (@mslaurabliss)
Jalal "Jay" Greene - Chief Operations Officer for the Baltimore City Department of Housing & Community Development in Baltimore, Maryland

Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired on June 20, 2019.

Abandoned And Vacant: A Look At How Connecticut Cities Are Addressing Blight

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