St. Louis Groups Come Together to Form Neighborhood Vacancy Coalition

Vacant or neglected properties drive down property values, and tax revenue and can be sites for arson and other crimes, so it's a serious problem for the city of St. Louis that there are over 25,000 such properties within city limits. "On Tuesday a coalition of neighborhood, city, and non-profit agencies announced the 'Neighborhood Vacancy Initiative' at a press conference at Saint Louis University's School of Law," Melody Walker reports for KWMU.

The group includes neighborhood associations, the St. Louis Development Corporation, and the Legal Services of Eastern Missouri group. The Neighborhood Vacancy Initiative hopes to leverage the resources of these groups to better deal with the legal and social problems around vacant properties.