High Poverty, Unemployment Rates Prompt Push for ‘Extremely Blighted’ Status

Keith Marvin with Marvin Planning Consultants explained that designating certain areas as “extremely blighted” would push the city over the allowed 50 percent threshold for blighted and substandard areas. A recent state law permits areas to exceed this threshold if designated as “extremely blighted.” The study revealed high rates of unemployment and poverty in these areas, making them eligible for extended Tax Increment Financing periods and potential tax credits for homebuyers.