Urban homesteading is a unique opportunity for individuals with construction skills and/or experience in home repair to acquire and rehab homes in poor condition. Eligible properties are truly abandoned and cannot be purchased or otherwise acquired. The houses must be 1. Vacant for at least six months continuously; 2. Delinquent on taxes for at least two years; and 3. A nuisance (property should have open codes violations). After identifying an eligible property and discussing it with a Legal Aid attorney, the neighborhood association, can bring an Abandoned Housing Act suit. The next step is to find a suitable Urban Homesteader to take on the home rehabilitation.
UPDATE: Feel free to download the questionnaire, but please note that the application process is closed until September.
- Legal Aid and the Urban Homesteading Program FAQ
- Preguntas Frecuentes sobre Legal Aid y el Programa de “Urban Homesteading” (Viviendas Urbana)
- Urban Homesteading Questionnaire (English)
- Urban Homesteading Questionnaire (Spanish)
- Get inspired: Urban Homesteading “Before & After” Photos: Project #1 Project #2