A new deal between the Department of Housing and Urban Development and with the City of New York could make hundreds of abandoned buildings habitable.
"The Department of Housing and Urban Development damaged several New York neighborhoods when it permitted scam artists to bilk the government out of federally secured mortgage and construction loans in the late 1990's. The scammers acquired more than 500 buildings with federal backing, then dumped them, leaving boarded-up and derelict homes in areas that were struggling to rebuild. Community leaders were worried that the problem might fester for years. But the Bush administration's housing secretary, Mel Martinez, has brokered a praiseworthy deal with City Hall that could soon make hundreds of abandoned buildings livable again."
Thanks to Abhijeet Chavan
FULL STORY: A Happy Outcome at HUD

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
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