CLRA to Share Input, Seeks Public Input at October 7 Meeting

(Charleston, W. Va.) – The Charleston Land Reuse Agency (CLRA) will host a public meeting on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Element Edge (1611 4th Avenue) to update residents on its work to return vacant, abandoned, and dilapidated properties to productive use. The meeting will include a brief presentation on current projects and programs, followed by an opportunity for residents to speak directly with CLRA board members and staff. Refreshments will be provided. 

“This event is about sharing the successes that are happening in Charleston to recycle abandoned and vacant property, but even more, it is about hearing what residents and neighbors think is working and what they think is not,” said John Butterworth, Senior Planner for the CLRA. “The CLRA is trying to listen to residents, take what we learn, and put together solutions that will make our neighborhoods stronger.  We need advice on how we can continue to achieve that.”  

The CLRA launched three programs in early 2024 to pilot new solutions to the issues most often raised by residents: the need for new and safe housing within reach of working families, the presence of long-vacant dilapidated houses, and the desire from neighbors to maintain and use nearby vacant lots. 

The three programs include a New Construction Incentive Program that has supported the building of more than two dozen new single-family homes, a Home Ownership Property Renovation Fund to rehabilitate vacant houses, and a Side Lot Program that allows adjacent property owners to acquire vacant lots at minimal cost. 

Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin spearheaded the creation of the Charleston Land Reuse Agency in 2019 as part of a comprehensive effort to address abandoned and dilapidated properties. The CLRA develops policies and programs to get tax-delinquent and vacant properties back on the tax rolls and contributing to the health of Charleston neighborhoods.