Johnstown Adopts Comprehensive Blight Strategy
On April 15th, Johnstown City Council adopted the Comprehensive Blight Strategy Plan developed through the Johnstown Blight Task Force. The 23-member Task Force, made up of residents, local community advocates, housing and government officials, and nonprofits, completed the process of creating a comprehensive plan to address issues of blight throughout the city.
The Task Force recognized the need to systematically identify, prioritize, and demolish the City’s large inventory of blighted, vacant properties as a critical first step to revitalization. To return those vacant lots and other blighted properties to productive use, the Task Force recommended the creation of a land bank. The Task Force also prioritized the need to hold property owners accountable for the maintenance of their properties using tools authorized under the Neighborhood Blight Reclamation and Revitalization Act including permit denial, asset attachment, and criminal prosecution.
The Task Force was formed as part of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s (DCED) Act 47 municipality intervention efforts. DCED contracted with the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania to provide technical assistance that will help financially distressed communities improve community and economic development by attacking issues of blight.
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