Shreveport leaders have been working on a program to battle blight in the community. This collaborative effort has been part of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative.
Rachel Fischer is a fellow with the program, and she has been studying the problem in Shreveport and she has now unveiled a plan of action.
What Are the Goals of the Initiative?
Understand how code enforcement processes can be streamlined.
Analyze how blight and vacancy is perpetuated in the City.
Move towards proactive systems focusing on revitalization and redevelopment.
Fisher cited the work done in Kansas City, Missouri where the community transitioned from reacting to problems to a city that focused on preserving these blighted properties.
What Are the Next Steps to Fight Blight in Shreveport
Rachel Fischer, a Bloomberg Harvard fellow has been in Shreveport for about 10 weeks. She has been helping the city implement a program to look at blight and redevelopment in the city.
Fischer identified 3 areas for change.
Integrate Data & Technology into Tracking Systems.
Putting such a system in place would ensure “that all departments can access the same software and the same data such as parcel, ownership and violation data.” This report also recommends using a tracking process for environmental court. It is also suggested that a list of demolitions is also tracked and made available for the public to access.
Promote Department Collaborations and Shared Performance Metrics
This report encourages the city to share performance metrics among departments and set priorities. It also recommends regular meetings to share goals. Residents should also be able to get information about problems from anyone working in city government and all employees should be seen as ambassadors, especially for the “boots on the ground people”. The port city 311 app should be used to provide information about resources available.
Incentivize Maintenance and Development
Another recommendation is to “support owners with deferred maintenance and repairs. The city should also coordinate with external community partners that will allow that process to work.” Another critical goal of this plan is to make it a priority to restore these blighted properties rather than to demolish them.
Fischer told the council, and the Mayor blight is a tough issue to address, but it can be done. She says, “Shreveport is ready to address this problem with bold actions and solutions.”
She urged the Council and the Mayor to continue the effort to unify the community and do the work needed to make meaningful change.