The Huntsville Area Association of Realtors is engaged in efforts to connect local officials with national policy experts to drive conversations on property vacancy and abandonment prevention. Stabilizing and Revitalizing Neighborhoods in the COVID-19 Era, a multipart series hosted by the National Association of Realtors, is bringing together Realtors and policymakers from across the country to highlight systems that affect vacancy and abandonment and to discuss early intervention strategies that can be employed in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Several Madison County neighborhoods have faced tremendous stress and economic pressure as a result of this pandemic, and the Huntsville Area Association of Realtors have made it their mission to ensure our community can rebuild and recover as quickly as possible,” said Sha Jarboe, HAAR President “These educational opportunities ensure our members can lead conversations to solve our region’s most complex problems.”

The series is part of NAR’s Transforming Neighborhoods program, which offers Realtors – alongside local community partners – the opportunity to comprehensively explore the underlying factors keeping vacant, abandoned and deteriorated properties “stuck” in decline while examining ways to rehabilitate buildings and create more vibrant communities.

Visit this link for registration and other information on the webinar series, which is scheduled as follows: Code Enforcement – A Tool for Preventing Vacancy and Abandonment, Aug. 25; 1 p.m.; Transferring Vacant and Abandoned Properties, Sept. 1, 1 p.m.; and Land Banking – Returning Properties to Productive Use, Sept. 8, 1 p.m.