Land Bank bill introduced to City Council!

The Take Back Vacant Land team and nearly 50 other organizations have been lobbying City Council to introduce a "land bank bill that we can trust." That is to say, one that considers what communities want (green space, urban farms, affordable housing)! We want to use the city's vacant land for ethical revitalization.

A huge milestone occurred today when Councilwoman Mario Quinones-Sanchez introduced the bill, with much of our language, into City Council. Rachel Sensenig, from our team, was there! Here's what her assistant, Jennifer Kates, wrote to us:

Please pass on our thanks to CTBVL for all your work so far in shaping the bill so that it is informed by community representation and equity in development, and for building support and enthusiasm for these changes.  The new draft greatly reflects your contributions.

Jennifer Kates, Esq.Office of Councilwoman Sánchez
City Hall, Room 592
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Let's keep praying as we make more progress on this bill. Stay tuned for more information!

Take Back Vacant Land leads us to fight unjust laws

For the last year, some of us have been representing Circle of Hope in a coalition engaged in a campaign called Take Back Vacant Land. We gathered that energy and formed a team!

A land bank bill has been introduced to City Council by Maria Quiñones-Sanchez (of the 7th District) that puts the city's owned land into a bank that can be used by individuals. The campaign we’re involved in is lobbying City Council to make sure this potentially great bill has rules in it that allow for community control so that the land can be used for things like green space, urban farming, affordable housing, and good businesses. Right now, we are trying to line up enough votes that support our amendments to the bill--they basically surround making sure that there is legal criteria that represents the interests of the residents in the neighborhood as well as putting community members on the board that decides what the land is used for. It is our goal to accomplish this by the end of 2013.

Check out more on the team's page.