Academic Work
Revitilize Abandoned and Foreclosure Properties
Urban Design Studio 2, Columbia University
Collaborator: Deeksha Kalra, Yinzhu Shen, Stanley Zhang
Location: Poughkeepsie, NY
The increasing number of abandoned properties in Poughkeepsie is a public hazard both in terms of health and safety. They attract infestation, tend to become a congregation point for illegal activities like drugs, and a refuge for the homeless. One major contributor to the creation of these abandoned properties is the long process of foreclosure and the sale of tax liens to investors outside the city of Poughkeepsie.
The low spending capacity of most residents can be seen in both their inability to pay mortgage timely and pay for proper maintenance of houses. Expensive contractors required for maintenance of houses leads homeowners and landlords to procrastinate repair and maintenance jobs. Poughkeepsie has 41.1% of old houses (pre-war) and these tend to have higher maintenance cost due to outdated fixtures and materials being used for their repair. Both abandoned properties and poorly maintained houses cause overall deterioration of the neighborhood.
Technical jobs like plumbing, electrical, HVAC which support house maintenance are ‘Low training - High Pay - High Skill’ jobs. The presence of technical schools, construction companies and organizations like the Hudson River Valley housing and Habitat for Humanity in the Hudson Valley, present an opportunity to create a system where training, creation of jobs, maintenance of houses and revitalizing abandoned properties can be linked to support each other.
We propose the creation of a Poughkeepsie Land & Time Bank (PLTB). A bank which would provide services like maintenance in return for your time to community building. The first phase would be to advocate a change in policy where in a property vacant for more than a year and falling below Level C category of maintenance will by default come under the ownership of the Poughkeepsie Land & Time Bank. This phase would also include the creation of a Technical training- Construction hub at Cottage Street, an area which already has the base to support such activities.
The second phase would include two scenarios. In the first scenario, we argue that maintenance requires two key ingredients – material and services. The latter being the part that makes maintenance an expensive proposition, PLTB’s training centers will provide free services to homeowners, landlords and renters in return for community hours dedicated towards maintaining urban food gardens on vacant land in their neighborhood. The material cost for maintenance will still be borne by the homeowner.
In the second scenario, the abandoned properties that come under PLTB will be revitalized, stabilized and sold to either potential developers or will become co-ops with shared ownership. This model would help share the high property tax and maintenance cost of homes.
Both scenarios would in turn help improve the aesthetic and economical value of the neighborhood.
