Hudson Valley Cities Clearing Out Abandoned Properties

Multiple towns in the Hudson Valley are taking steps to clear and remove abandoned properties.

According to Patch, three Hudson Valley cities have received grant money from New York State to clear out 'zombie' properties. The grants are part of the second round of funding secured for the state by the Attorney General through years of legal settlements with financial institutions that broke laws.

Patch reports that Newburgh, Mount Vernon, and White Plains are the three Hudson Valley cities receiving grant money. 10 cities total in New York are receiving funds, which are Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Elmira, Niagara Falls, Rochester, and Syracuse.

Cities like Mount Vernon plan to use the money to address structural issues. According to Patch, they will be using their Quality of Life Task Force to address code violations and other safety issues.

The funding program, officially called Cities for Responsible Investment and Strategic Enforcement, or Cities RISE, was started due to the housing crisis.