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Council hears yearlong heirs property program convening in Birmingham to address vacant and dilapidated homes
Summary
City leaders and the National Community Stabilization Trust briefed the council on a yearlong initiative focused on heirs property in Black and Latino middle neighborhoods; presenters said the program will support community development professionals and deliver a local study of heirs property patterns.
City of Birmingham leaders on Tuesday welcomed the National Community Stabilization Trust (NCST) and partner organizations for a yearlong initiative aimed at addressing heirs property — a form of property ownership that can impede sale, repair or redevelopment when multiple inheritors hold title without clear legal partition.
Mayor Randall Woodfin introduced the NCST cohort and said heirs property surfaced repeatedly during community engagement, and is a significant contributor to blight in multiple council districts. “One of the topics that came up over and over was…heirs property,” the mayor said as he introduced NCST representatives convening in Birmingham.
NCST and local partners described the program as an immersive learning and technical-assistance effort designed to train community development professionals, convene host agencies and develop actionable projects. Chris Tyson, NCST CEO, said the trust’s work builds on long-standing efforts to return vacant property to productive use and expand affordable homeownership. NCST project lead Chris Garland said the program began in January and includes weekly learning sessions, expert speakers and a local special project each host will complete by year’s end.
Neighborhood Housing Services of Birmingham and other local hosts are compiling a “census-like” study of heirs property within Birmingham city limits and said they plan to return to the council with that report. “We’ve been working on a census-like study of heirs property within the city limits. We look forward to coming back and sharing that report with you,” a Neighborhood Housing Services representative said.
Council members from across the chamber praised the initiative and recommended legal clinics, partnerships with volunteer attorneys and neighborhood education to complement technical work; several members cited long-standing local examples of houses that declined after a death in the family and ultimately required demolition.
Presenters named NCST’s partners on the initiative, including NeighborWorks America and host agencies from Atlanta and Baltimore. NCST described the program as both educational and tangible: participating organizations will complete special projects and pursue federal policy and lending innovations to support rehabilitation of vacant properties and preservation of existing single-family homes.
No council vote or formal action was required; presenters and council members said the immediate next step is for NCST and neighborhood housing partners to deliver the heirs property report and to convene further community outreach and technical support.
