County committee discusses creating public database of blighted properties following state bill

A Northampton County council member introduced a discussion about House Bill 1062 during the Economic Development Committee meeting on Oct. 11 and asked members whether the county should create a public database of blighted or repository properties to help direct housing and redevelopment resources.

The presenter said the county already maintains a repository list of properties that failed to sell at tax or sheriff’s sales and that the list is not public; the idea discussed was to publish a usable database to help interested developers, nonprofits and municipalities locate properties that may be suitable for rehabilitation or redevelopment. The director of fiscal affairs (unnamed in the meeting) was cited as maintaining an internal list; DCED’s prior blight remediation study and LVEDC work were mentioned as existing resources.

Council members and county staff discussed different implementation approaches: keeping participation voluntary and acting as a “matchmaker” between interested investors/developers and property owners; using municipal code‑violation data to identify problem properties; and ensuring the database would not facilitate discriminatory targeting or redlining. Representatives noted the county would need municipal cooperation to assess which properties are appropriate for inclusion and stressed the initiative is a long‑term effort rather than a quick fix.

Committee members discussed possible incentives for rehabilitating properties (tax concessions, façade grants, leveraging HUD or state funding) and said the county should work with partners such as Habitat for Humanity, LVEDC and municipal code officers. Several members encouraged starting with a small pilot and contacting property owners voluntarily rather than unilateral enforcement. No committee vote or formal direction was recorded at the meeting.