releases: https://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=c72371b2-1d98-40fd-b5cb-86b4472e5c79
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.portman.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=c72371b2-1d98-40fd-b5cb-86b4472e5c79 | Portman and Stabenow Announce Senate to Vote on Funds for Blighted and Abandoned Homes | 2015-12-17 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Republican | House | OH | Rob Portman | P000449 | www.portman.senate.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C. Today, U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) announced that the Omnibus Appropriations bill being considered in the Senate includes funding for new opportunities to help Ohio, Michigan, and other states impacted by the housing crisis revitalize their neighborhoods. It does this by giving Treasury the flexibility to transfer as much as $2 billion to the Hardest Hit Fund, which focuses on demolishing vacant and blighted structures which pose a growing threat to the public safety and economic well-being of our communities. Over the years, I have worked with local Ohio communities to help deal with thisissue of abandoned homes, Senator Portman stated. We're all concerned aboutcommunities that have blightedproperties because they tend tobe magnets for crime and hurt home values. This bill is a step in the right direction because it will allow Ohio communities to tear down these houses and restore the integrity of their communities. We are seeing real progress in communities across our state from federal blight removal resources, said Senator Stabenow. This new flexibility is a huge win for Michigan cities and neighborhoods and will keep the momentum going to revitalize our communities and make sure our neighborhoods are safe places to raise a family. Portman and Stabenow have long fought for the ability for Ohio and Michigan communities to tap into additional funds to demolish vacant, blighted structures, which pose a growing threat to the public safety and economic well-being of our communities.In 2013, Portman and Stabenow introduced theNeighborhood Safety Actto allow states to use resources from the Hardest Hit Fund to tackle this problem. Michigan and Ohio have tens of thousands of vacant properties awaiting demolition, posing a significant risk to public safety and drastically decreasing the value of surrounding properties. Municipalities and local land banks have worked collaboratively to demolish vacant properties, but with municipal budgets already stretched, there is little money available. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |