State of the Land Report: August 2024 Posted on August 28, 2024 by [email protected] Share this post State of the Land Report: August 2024The State of the Land Report is our monthly update where we will be educating and sharing out about everything you need to know about vacant land policy in the City of Pittsburgh!How to Mitigate Heirs' Property and Tangled TitleAs Pittsburgh’s population has declined over the past 40 years, many homes have been abandoned, or their owners died without specifying who would take over the deed to the house. We call these properties dead-end properties. Often these houses fall into disrepair and become hazardous to their communities. Most of the time, it is impossible to contact the owner to pay taxes or fines, either because they have passed away, or moved somewhere else and are no longer living in the area. If someone wanted to buy, preserve, or repair the house, it would be very difficult because the deed is in someone else’s name, and that person cannot be contacted to transfer ownership. We call this a tangled title situation. Often when someone passes away, the ownership of the house passes on to their children, but this is not official unless the title is also transferred. We call this Heirs’ Property: when the children continue living in the house, assuming they fully own it until something arises that requires the deed to be in their name. This could be applying for tax breaks for owner-occupied residences, grants or government programs for financial assistance, or loans. Also, if the parent dies without a will, the ownership is split among the heirs, which can lead to family disputes over ownership. Sometimes, an outside predatory entity will swoop in and take advantage of the family dispute to claim ownership of the property for themselves. How can we fix a tangled title situation? In order to clear title, someone must reach out to all of the possible heirs of the deceased property owner, or anyone who might have a claim to the property. This includes anyone who holds a lien on the property. Once the debts and liens are addressed, a judge needs to officially clear the title.This process is long, expensive, and requires lawyers. It will take a very long time to clear all of the tangled titles in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. Experts agree that the best course of action is to prevent more tangled titles, while also chipping away at the City’s existing inventory of over 10k vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties.How can we prevent tangled titles on heirs’ properties? 1. Educate Educate Educate! Teach people about the risks of not having a will! Make sure that offspring know that it is important to have the deed in their name, and spread the word around neighborhoods with aging populations and housing stock. 2. Provide resources for estate planningNon-profit and government organizations can provide or connect homeowners to services that help them ensure that their house and other assets are passed on to their heirs without any complications. 3. Provide support for clearing titleConnect people to programs that can clear title for a reduced cost, like Catapult Greater Pittsburgh’s tangled title program, CLEAR (Clinic for Legal Equity and Repairs). Learn More about Tangled Titles and Heirs’ Property: Progress Points: Heir’s Property. How Tangled Title Can Lead to Property Vacancy, Abandonment, and DeteriorationHow Community Partners and Local Governments Collaborate to Address Heirs’ PropertyNew program will assist Pittsburgh and Allegheny County residents with ‘tangled titles”Definitions:Dead-end property: A condemned property with an owner who is impossible to reach, or cannot be contacted after multiple attempts. Tangled Title: When the legal ownership of a property is unclear or disputed, often because a person living there does not have their name on the deed. Heir’s property: A piece of land or home that is inherited, sometimes by multiple family members, often without a clear will, leading to shared ownership that can create legal and management issues. What are your thoughts? We want to hear from you!Email [email protected]Follow-Up From Last IssueIn the last issue, we learned how reassessing the value of the skyscrapers in downtown Pittsburgh is leading to a significant decrease in taxes collected from the large corporations who own these buildings. We discussed some of the ideas to increase the value of the buildings by targeted revitalization efforts downtown. Is it working? Read more here! Advocacy 101: Fill out the PA Outdoor Recreation Survey from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources by September 21st, 2024.The survey was initially open in April and May of 2024, but there were concerns about a lack of responses from racially diverse populations. In an email to stakeholders, DCNR representatives reported:“There were 5,700 white respondents; 66 Black/African-American; 95 Latino; and 82 Asian respondents. We can do better! Help us get the word out or tell us who else we should talk to in your city, neighborhood, or other community connections!”In their press release, DNCR said:“DCNR is working with experts across the state to develop the next Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (2025-2029), which will help to guide future recreation investments, policies and facilities.'Five years after the current Pennsylvania Outdoor Recreation Plan was written, recreation interests and trends may be different.' [Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said,] 'We'd like to know whether walking is still Pennsylvanians favorite outdoor activity? Do people still want trails and on-road bike lanes? These questions will be a part of the foundation for outdoor recreation going forward and we appreciate input from the public.'Public feedback is an important component to building the goals of the plan. In addition to a scientifically conducted survey earlier this year by Penn State and a survey of recreation providers currently being performed, a general online survey is now open for Pennsylvanians wanting to share their opinions about outdoor recreation."Take the Survey (English)Toma la Encuesta (Español)2020-2024 Recreation PlanAdvocacy NetworkThank you for subscribing to our advocacy network, if you have not already done so please subscribe here.Grounded is working to improve the condition of vacant lots by developing sustainable solutions that can address the environmental and racial injustices currently entrenched in our property management system. The lack of a comprehensive and unified strategy to care for vacant lots disproportionately affects low-income communities of color. We must ensure that the process of land recycling and maintenance is conducted equitably, transparently, and through an anti-racist framework. Help make change happen in local, state, and federal land-use policies, voice your concerns about vacant land in your community, share how you want to see vacant land transformed, and support your neighbors in obtaining land access and ownership.Subscribe to Advocacy NetworkLand Use News Backlash prompts Pittsburgh URA to remove for-sale signs on nearly 600 propertiesIn mid-July, the URA placed about 600 “for sale” signs up on URA-owned properties throughout the Hill District. This upset and confused many neighbors and owners of adjacent properties. Residents worried about why the URA was suddenly advertising that their properties are available for sale, and to whom. Acquiring properties from the URA is a long, tedious, and expensive process that is not accessible for many residents. Some community groups met with the URA in August to ask for more transparent and complete community engagement processes around the disposition of URA propertiesLearn more about it here: Original Story from the Hill CDC Newsletter on July 13th (the 2nd story in the newsletter)Update from Hill CDC Newsletter on July 22ndComment from the URA July 25th URA board meeting recording. This meeting is primarily about a different issue, but the Public Comment Section (starting at minute 9) features residents’ thoughts about this issue.Bakery Square expansion plans resume after zoning impasseWalnut Capital’s plan to expand Bakery Square in Pittsburgh by 14 acres has faced multiple delays and negotiations over the past two years. Initially proposed with 5% affordable housing, the plan stalled last year due to Mayor Ed Gainey’s push for 15% affordability, which led the developer to seek support from Section 8 vouchers. In September 2023, a community benefits agreement helped move the project forward, promising affordable units and $6 million for community housing initiatives. However, a key vote by the City Planning Commission was delayed again in August 2024 due to concerns over parking and sidewalk design. The commission will revisit the project on September 3, 2024, as Walnut Capital seeks approval to transform the area into a more urban, mixed-use development.Learn more about it here:Bakery Square expansion may hinge on housing vouchersBakery Square expansion vote pushed backAdditional Resources & Upcoming EventsFair Fares Coalition from PPT won big with the Allegheny Go program providing 50% off transit fares for SNAP recipientsSign up hereHill CDC Operation HOME Workshop - Sep 21Register hereDo you own your property and want to request a street tree from the City of Pittsburgh? Fill out and submit this request form! From the Mayor’s office: City in the streets in Homewood on September 4th! Tell us your land acquisition story! Have you tried to acquire vacant land through one of the 8 vacant land ownership pathways? Do you want to try to acquire land? What is your feedback? Tell us your story! Email us [email protected]