City Council Hearing: Housing & Economic Development Committee; April 21, 2026

The City Council Hearing of the Housing & Economic Development Committee held on April 21, 2026, focused extensively on the city's strategy for acquiring, financing, and managing vacant and abandoned properties. Key procurement-related discussions included the Department of Housing and Community Development's (DHCD) acquisition efforts, legal filings for property title cases, and the use of cooperative contracts valued at $225,000 each for appraisers and abstractors to support acquisition activities. The committee reviewed the status of in rem foreclosure cases, staffing needs for title attorneys and paralegals, and efforts to improve efficiency through outsourcing and dedicated teams. The meeting also covered the city's innovative financing approach using a non-contiguous Tax Increment Financing (TIFF) district to fund vacant property rehabilitation, with $28.8 million in bonds recently issued and plans for additional bond series to support ongoing projects. Discussions addressed the challenges of rising property assessments, disposition processes including fixed pricing programs and land disposition agreements, and the integration of infrastructure projects with acquisition efforts. The committee emphasized the importance of transparency, community engagement, and strategic planning to ensure mixed-income neighborhood development. Additional topics included homeowner and renter assistance programs, mortgage initiatives for low-income buyers, and tax sale deferral and legacy homeowner pilots. Several data requests were made for detailed timelines, funding flows, and program outcomes to inform future budget and policy decisions.