Stories of Philanthropic Leadership in Advancing Regional and ...

Funder InterestThe EPA supported the Campaign as it aligned withEPAs “national environmental goals of encouragingclean-up and redevelopment of brownfields andother blighted properties including vacant andabandoned properties.” 7 In considering the scope ofthe Campaign, the foundations involved based theirgrant decisions on the vision to build on experience,share partnerships, and create momentum across thenation. The Charles Stewart Mott Foundationwanted to connect the work of the Genesee CountyLand Bank with the national vacant propertiesmovement by hosting the Campaign’s conference inFlint, Mich. “Our interest is in exposingpolicymakers and advocates in Michigan to otherexamples of innovative work from around thecountry and to expose others to the work of theGenesee County Land Bank,” explains Neal Hegarty,program officer with the Mott Foundation.The Surdna Foundation had worked with SGA on anenvironment program in the past and believed in thestrength of its partners. Vanitha Venugopal, programofficer for community revitalization at Surdna, explainsthat, “The Surdna Foundation prefers to fund largescaleprojects doing innovative work to make systemicchanges. We are all faced with vacant properties all overthe country with different ways of dealing with them.”Stephanie Jennings, former manager of nationalinitiatives at the Fannie Mae Foundation, highlightsthis same need for partnership and collaboration. Sherecalls that before the Campaign started, “Differentpeople in different places were all reinventing the wheeland were not sharing resources.” Fannie MaeFoundation wanted to see a true partnership take theenergy from the initial meetings and put a plan in placethat could affect change. The Foundation hadencouraged SGA, ICMA, and LISC to make acollaborative effort in approaching the issue so thegroups could inform each other and share skills.Regional/Neighborhood Equity ImpactsThe Campaign’s focus and technical assistance assistscommunities and related organizations in findingways to secure long-term stability for low-incomerenters and owners trying to keep up with expensiveproperty tax assessments. The Campaign also pointsto the health hazards brought upon the community byvacant properties. Vacant and abandoned propertiesinclude many brownfields with some level ofenvironmental contamination. Abandoned propertiesrepresent safety threats to nearby residents andbecome dumping grounds for everything from oldtires to hazardous chemicals. Yet the reuse of theproperties may result in remediation of more of thesesites making land available to support production ofaffordable housing and increase the value of theneighborhood. Additionally, the redevelopment couldconserve greenfield sites including wildlife habitat andfarmland. The Campaign addresses strategies for themore effective uses of infrastructure investments thatcommunities have already made, such as roads, power,and other utility services. The participants and leadersof the Campaign emphasize that early success ofremediation encourages local governments to enactpolicies and procedures that ease bureaucracy obstaclesand streamline processes for development.A Baltimore community worked for two years to encourage the city todemolish a vacant warehouse. A community development corporation isrehabilitating the houses that stand behind the now vacant lot. Residents areworking together with the city to determine the final use of the vacant lot,which will likely become a combination of greenspace and parking. (Source:Jennifer Leonard, Smart Growth America).ResultsTo date, the Campaign boasts two national conferences,stronger financial backing, and a growing network ofresources from a cross-section of government,nonprofits, and businesses. Jennings from the FannieMae Foundation cites a greater awareness of theCampaign across the nation. Individuals andorganizations committed to policy changes aroundvacant properties have a renewed optimism inspired bya greater coordination and collaboration for support,information, and resources as silos are breaking down.The technical assistance program is getting the rightpeople in the same room locally. To this extent, LISCexhibits a national presence while SGA puts its rhetoric7Remarks of Charles Kent, director of the Office of Business andCommunity Innovation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, at theVacant Property Press Breakfast, July 9, 2003.EQUITABLE PUBLIC INVESTMENTPart III: Section 1: Promoting Equitable Public Investment 30