Birmingham's Bipartisan Blight Fight

0:00From the Daily News Now Network, this is Corey, with the story with Birmingham News today. Birmingham leaders are pushing a bipartisan set of four bills through the state legislature to fight blight and bring abandoned properties back to. Life in the city and Jefferson County Mayor Randall Woodfin announced the package on Monday highlighting 15,000 vacant homes in Birmingham alone that need attention. The goal is to hold negligent owners accountable and boost affordable housing. These proposals cover the full cycle of neighborhood health, from preventing decay to reusing empty lots. Key ideas include a new Birmingham House and Trust Fund for developing and preserving affordable homes, plus community land trust that keep ownership, affordable by separating land from buildings. Another bill sets up registries for vacant properties with fees and maintenance rules for out of town landlords. Local legislators from both parties showed strong support at the announcement. State Senator Linda Coleman-Madison called it a united effort for all of Jefferson County,

1:02building on past successes like the city's land bank. Representative Mary Moore said they've been working steadily since the session started to move the bills through committees. The bipartisan backing stands out in the often divided house. Senator America Coleman noted that cleaning up blight isn't a partisan fight. Democrats and Republicans agree on giving cities better tools to protect. Neighborhoods and courts more power. Some makers plan a coordinated push, shifting bills between House and Senate to meet deadlines. If passed, these local measures could transform blighted areas and help long-term residents stay affordably housed. DNN is sponsored by our partner. No earbuds, no headbands, no awkward sleeping positions, just a pillow that plays your sound.