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Introduction
Recently, I attended a Zoom meeting focused on blighted properties in Reading, Pennsylvania.
The discussion included representatives from the City of Reading, Spotlight PA, nonprofit and development organizations, local officials, and community stakeholders. The topic was serious, but important: how does Reading identify, manage, repair, redevelop, and prevent blighted properties?
For residents, blight is not just a real estate term.
It can affect safety, neighborhood appearance, housing quality, property values, taxes, and confidence in the community.
For investors and developers, blighted properties can represent opportunity, but they also come with responsibility, risk, and due diligence.
As Reading continues working toward redevelopment, improved housing, possible passenger rail, CRIZ investment, and stronger economic growth, the issue of blighted properties becomes even more important.
What Is a Blighted Property?
A blighted property is generally a property that has deteriorated to the point where it may negatively affect safety, habitability, neighborhood conditions, or redevelopment potential.
That can include properties that are:
- Vacant
- Abandoned
- Structurally unsafe
- Tax delinquent
- Severely neglected
- In serious need of repair
- Creating safety or neighborhood concerns
Blight does not always mean a property is beyond saving. In many cases, a building may still have value but needs significant repair, responsible ownership, or redevelopment.
The challenge is figuring out who owns the property, whether they can be reached, whether they are willing to make repairs, and whether the property can be returned to productive use.
Why Blight Matters to Reading Residents
For residents, blighted properties can affect daily life in very real ways.
A neglected property can impact the appearance of a block. A vacant building can create safety concerns. A deteriorating structure can affect neighboring homes. In some cases, renters may be living in buildings that require repairs or increased oversight.
Spotlight PA reported that the building at 501 N. 8th Street in Reading partially collapsed in July 2025 after six years had passed since the city’s last inspection. Spotlight PA also reported that Reading’s ordinance calls for multifamily and rental properties to be inspected every two to five years, but the city had struggled to meet that schedule because of staffing and funding limits.
That example shows why blight is more than a visual problem.
It can become a public safety issue.
If a property collapses, requires emergency demolition, or becomes unsafe, the impact can extend beyond the owner. Neighbors, tenants, taxpayers, and city officials may all be affected.
Who Owns Reading’s Blighted Properties?
One of the most complicated parts of addressing blight is determining who actually owns the property.
During the meeting, this was a major topic.
Spotlight PA analyzed Reading’s certified blight list and reported that the city’s September 2025 certified blight list included 286 properties and approximately 250 independent property owners. Spotlight PA also found that many properties are owned by LLCs, and that some LLCs are named after the property address itself, making it harder to determine who is actually behind the ownership.
This matters because the city cannot solve a problem if it cannot easily identify, contact, or hold accountable the responsible owner.
LLCs are not automatically bad.
Many responsible investors use LLCs for legitimate reasons, including asset protection and business organization. However, LLC ownership can become a challenge when it makes accountability harder, especially if properties are neglected, tax delinquent, or unsafe.
Why Would Someone Keep a Blighted Property?
At first, it may seem strange that someone would continue owning a blighted property.
However, the reasons can vary.
Some owners may hold the property as an investment. Others may hope to flip it later. Some may use the property as collateral. Some properties may be tied up in inheritance issues, tangled titles, or family disputes. Others may have sentimental value, especially if the property was inherited from a relative.
There are also cases where an owner may not fully understand the condition of the property, may not have the money to repair it, or may not be actively managing it.
This is why blight is such a difficult issue.
It is not always one type of owner or one type of problem.
What Is Reading Doing About Blight?
The City of Reading has been working on strategies to address blight, housing quality, property maintenance, and redevelopment.
The City of Reading’s Blighted Property Review Committee page states that approximately 1,400 properties were identified and rated as part of the city’s blight review efforts. The committee reviews blighted property maps, identifies target areas, contacts property owners, and may move properties into the eminent domain process through the Reading Redevelopment Authority when owners fail to respond. The city page notes that this process can take 12 to 18 months.
Reading’s Housing and Blight Strategy adoption document also states that the city had created an initial inventory of nearly 300 certified blighted and other properties that were vacant, abandoned, tax delinquent, or in serious need of repair.
During the meeting, several strategies were discussed, including:
- Strengthening property maintenance enforcement
- Expanding vacant property registration
- Requiring blight declarations to be filed with deeds
- Using pre-sale code inspections
- Making permitting more customer-friendly
- Supporting façade improvement programs
- Using property maintenance districts
- Exploring AI-assisted lower-level property inspections
- Working with the Reading Redevelopment Authority
- Encouraging responsible redevelopment
These steps are important because Reading is trying to reduce blight while also encouraging investment.
That balance matters.
The city wants redevelopment, but it does not want future development to create more neglected properties, unsafe rentals, or displacement issues.
What This Means for Investors and Developers
For investors and developers, blighted properties can present opportunity.
A neglected building may be restored. A vacant property may become productive again. An underused site may become housing, commercial space, mixed-use development, or another community asset.
However, investing in blighted properties requires serious due diligence.
Before buying, investors should investigate:
- Title issues
- Unpaid taxes
- Liens
- Code violations
- Zoning
- Structural condition
- Permitting requirements
- Utility access
- Repair costs
- Rental licensing requirements
- Long-term maintenance obligations
A low purchase price does not always mean a good investment.
A property that looks inexpensive can become very expensive if structural repairs, code compliance, tax issues, or legal complications are involved.
Owning property is not passive when the property is deteriorating.
Whether the owner is an individual, landlord, LLC, investor, or heir, ownership carries responsibility.
How CRIZ, TOD, and Passenger Rail Fit Into the Conversation
Reading is not only trying to fix blighted properties.
The city is also preparing for future development.
Reading has been discussing a Transit-Oriented Development Overlay District, which is intended to encourage higher-density housing, mixed-use development, adaptive reuse, reduced parking barriers, and redevelopment near areas that may benefit from future passenger rail.
This matters because blighted and underused properties may become more attractive if the city’s redevelopment environment improves.
Potential factors include:
- CRIZ incentives
- Transit-oriented development
- Friendlier permitting
- Adaptive reuse
- Possible passenger rail restoration
- Mixed-use development
- Workforce housing incentives
- Downtown investment
During the meeting, the idea was raised that cities often change slowly at first, and then people suddenly notice the results years later.
That is important. Revitalization usually does not happen overnight.
It happens through years of planning, investment, enforcement, repair, redevelopment, and cooperation between public officials, private owners, developers, nonprofits, and residents.
Why This Matters to Current Residents
For current Reading residents, the key question is not simply:
“Will investors make money?”
The more important question is:
“Will redevelopment improve life for the people who already live here?”
Blight reduction should ideally lead to:
- Safer housing
- Better-maintained neighborhoods
- More responsible ownership
- Improved property conditions
- More housing options
- Stronger commercial corridors
- Increased neighborhood confidence
At the same time, redevelopment should be thoughtful.
Several concerns came up during the meeting, including:
- Poor-quality flips
- Neglected rentals
- Predatory lending
- Displacement
- Gentrification
- Rents that are too low to support proper maintenance
- Owners who do not budget for repairs
These concerns are valid.
Economic development should not come at the expense of current residents.
A stronger Reading should include working families, renters, homeowners, small business owners, and longtime residents.
My Thoughts
As a REALTOR® who attends local meetings about planning, development, housing, and economic growth, I found this discussion extremely important.
Blight affects everyone.
It affects the resident living next door. It affects the renter inside the building. It affects the city trying to enforce maintenance standards. It affects taxpayers when emergency demolition costs cannot be recovered. It affects investors trying to understand opportunity and risk.
And it affects the future of Reading.
What stood out to me most is that Reading is trying to address blight while also positioning itself for redevelopment. That is not easy.
The city needs investment, but it also needs responsible ownership. The city needs development, but it also needs protections for residents. The city needs growth, but it also needs accountability.
If Reading can reduce blight, encourage responsible redevelopment, improve permitting, support housing investment, and prepare for future infrastructure opportunities, the impact could extend beyond the city itself.
A stronger Reading benefits Berks County.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a blighted property?
A blighted property is generally a property that has deteriorated to the point where it may negatively affect safety, housing quality, neighborhood conditions, or redevelopment potential.
Why do blighted properties matter to Reading residents?
Blighted properties can affect safety, housing quality, neighborhood appearance, nearby property values, taxes, and overall confidence in a community.
Who owns blighted properties in Reading?
Blighted properties may be owned by individuals, landlords, heirs, investors, or LLCs. Public reporting has shown that ownership can sometimes be difficult to trace, especially when LLC structures and mailing addresses obscure who controls the property.
What happens if an owner does not fix a blighted property?
Depending on the circumstances, a property may move through city enforcement, review, redevelopment, or eminent domain processes. The City of Reading states that its eminent domain process through the Reading Redevelopment Authority can take 12 to 18 months.
Can blighted properties be investment opportunities?
Yes, but investors should be careful. Blighted properties can involve repair costs, title issues, tax delinquency, zoning concerns, permitting requirements, and long-term maintenance responsibilities.
How does redevelopment help Reading?
Responsible redevelopment can improve housing quality, return vacant properties to productive use, support local businesses, improve tax revenue, and strengthen neighborhood confidence.
Why does this matter for Berks County?
Reading is the county seat and the largest city in Berks County. When Reading improves, the benefits can extend to the broader region through economic growth, housing opportunities, business activity, and community revitalization.
Thinking About Investing, Buying, or Selling in Reading?
If you are considering buying, selling, investing, or developing property in Reading or anywhere in Berks County, it is important to understand the local market, zoning environment, redevelopment efforts, and long-term community trends.
I regularly attend local meetings, development discussions, and community events to stay informed about the issues shaping Reading and Berks County.
Contact Ben Perfetto, REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Realty, to discuss your real estate goals and learn more about Reading’s evolving real estate market.
