Fight Blight Bmore |
For Organizations and Institutions
Blight is a major issue in many American neighborhoods . The prevalence of vacant and dilapidated buildings as well as empty lots and debris fields in Baltimore, are the result of urban flight; employment outsourcing; and disinvestment and institutional racism. The impact of blight on people and communities is profound. Property blight may lead to preventable trauma disparities and when untreated, it diminishes population health and wellness outcomes. Additionally, it diminishes property values and depresses the local economy. For example, according to the Vacant Property Research Network research " found that foreclosures in low poverty areas lead to reductions in neighboring property values by $7,000 (or by 4.2-7.5 percent)" . This loss in property values impact the local economy as is represents a reduction in tax revenue for schools, parks, infrastructure projects, etc. and leverage capital for individual saving, spending or investment.
One of the major challenges of understanding and the correcting blight is access to data and analysis. This survey is designed to uncover how academic and institutional users view, use and analyze data on blight and blight related issues.