Mayor Mitchell and Attorney General Coakley Partner to Help
Rehabilitate Vacant, Distressed Properties Through Receivership Program

New Bedford, Massachusetts – Blighted properties, abandoned by their owners in residential areas, create safety hazards, attract crime and lower property values. Through the Receivership Program, the City of New Bedford works in partnership with the Attorney General’s Office to identify delinquent owners of abandoned residential property and encourage them to voluntarily repair their properties and make them secure. If owners refuse, then the Attorney General’s Office will petition the relevant court to appoint a receiver to bring the property up to code.

Earlier this week Mayor Jon Mitchell and Attorney General Martha Coakley toured a single family home at 217 Cottage Street which was recently completely restored after being identified as a distressed property through the Receivership Program.  The property is one of dozens of distressed, vacant properties restored through the program.

With the support of the Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office and the City of New Bedford’s Office of Housing and Community Development, the Resource Inc. (TRI), a nonprofit community development organization restored the home at 217 Cottage Street.   Renovations included new roofing and siding, insulation, energy efficient windows, new kitchen and bathrooms with energy efficient appliances, fixtures, and a new energy efficient heating system.

Now that the restoration process is complete, the property will be sold through a lottery process to an income eligible first time homebuyer in accordance with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) HOME Program guidelines. To be eligible for the lottery, potential buyers must be pre-approved by local lenders of the Fall River/New Bedford Housing Partnership and through the MassHousing “Buy New Bedford” Program. The home will be sold for a discounted price of $167,500.

Through the Receivership Program, the Attorney General’s New Bedford Office has addressed more than 30 properties throughout the City. Eight of which have resulted in the appointment of a receiver to rehabilitate the property. In many other cases, the possibility of receiverships has spurred banks and owners to make the necessary repairs. The Attorney General’s Receivership Program and its many partnerships are proving to benefit neighborhoods and communities throughout the City of New Bedford.

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Issue No. 013