By Letitia James and Denise Scott

In an op-ed for the New York Daily News, New York Attorney General Letitia James and LISC president Denise Scott describe how communities and local governments can turn the tide on vacant and so-called “zombie” homes that drive crime, sap the resources of municipalities and undermine the wellbeing of Black and brown people and their neighborhoods. A New York State law, proceeds from an Attorney General settlement with banks responsible for the foreclosure crisis, and a groundbreaking initiative stewarded by LISC have helped municipalities across New York State show the way forward in the post-pandemic era.