DOVER, Del. (AP) - Democratic state lawmakers have introduced legislation making it easier for local governments to acquire and redevelop abandoned and vacant real estate.
The legislation, which is the subject of a committee hearing Wednesday, allows local governments to form "land banks" to acquire vacant and abandoned properties.
The bill allows local jurisdictions to form land banks if 3 percent of residential structures have been uninhabited for 6 months or more.
Supporters of the bill say blighted properties, like those that dot the landscape in Wilmington, can depress real estate values and the local tax base, while also serving as magnets for crime.
The legislation has the support of local officials in Wilmington and the city's entire delegation in the General Assembly.
