Birmingham officials want state lawmakers to give the city more authority to address blighted properties, expand affordable housing and improve neighborhood conditions.
The Birmingham City Council approved a 12-item legislative agenda Tuesday for the 2027 Alabama Legislative Session, backing proposals that Mayor Randall Woodfin’s administration said could help remove dilapidated properties, strengthen public safety and encourage economic development.
The proposals include a tax on neglected properties owned by absentee landlords, changes to how the city acquires tax-delinquent properties and the creation of a Birmingham Housing Trust Fund to support affordable housing.
“Our neighborhoods are the heart of Birmingham, and our residents deserve communities where they can feel safe, take pride in their homes, and see continued investment,” Woodfin said in a statement.
The agenda outlines changes that would require action by the Alabama Legislature to expand the city’s authority. City officials plan to work with Birmingham-area lawmakers to secure sponsors for the proposals during the upcoming session.
Addressing blighted properties
Several of the proposals focus on abandoned properties and overgrown lots that city officials say can affect the quality of life in surrounding neighborhoods.
One proposal would establish a registration requirement for blighted properties and authorize a special tax assessment on neglected properties owned by absentee landlords. Under the draft, that tax could be as much as 25 times the city’s current property tax rate on the property.
Another proposal would amend the Alabama Land Bank Act, allowing local land banks to acquire tax-delinquent properties through a shortened redemption period. The changes could also allow the creation of a multijurisdictional land bank.
The city also wants to streamline its weed and nuisance abatement process by letting the council declare a property a public nuisance and authorize corrective action in one proceeding if the problem remains unresolved after a set period. A separate provision would establish an abbreviated process for repeat nuisance properties while preserving required notice and property owners’ opportunity to be heard.
Council President Wardine Alexander said the measures are intended to give Birmingham more options when property owners abandon lots or fail to maintain their properties.
“What we want to do is strengthen our ordinances and give us an opportunity to go in and just try to make our neighborhoods a better place to live, improve the quality of life,” Alexander said.
Alexander said the problems can be especially frustrating for homeowners who maintain their properties while neighboring lots remain neglected.
The agenda also includes a proposal for administrative inspection warrants. This would establish a judicial process for city officials to seek permission to inspect private property when consent cannot be obtained and there is a legally sufficient basis to investigate potential code violations. The warrants would not replace criminal search warrants.
New funding for affordable housing
The proposed Birmingham Housing Trust Fund would give the city authority to establish a dedicated fund to support the development of safe, affordable housing.
The legislation would also establish rules for governing the fund and determining how its money could be used.
The mayor’s office said the broader agenda is intended to help return vacant properties to productive use, whether through new housing, rehabilitated historic buildings or commercial development.
Another proposal would extend Alabama’s Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit program beyond its current 2027 expiration date through 2032. The draft would increase the annual cap from $20 million to $25 million for 2028 through 2032 and allow credits to be transferred at a minimum value of 85% through the Historic Preservation Income Tax Credit Account.
Mental health, homelessness and other priorities
The agenda includes a plan to establish a statewide framework for responding to mental health crises and homelessness, including a behavioral health first responder component.
The proposal would create an interagency task force involving behavioral health, housing, health care, corrections, law enforcement and local government. It calls for state funding for mobile crisis teams, street medicine, behavioral health treatment and related services.
Other proposals address municipal employees’ participation in grant programs, infrastructure liability protections and the development of a comprehensive city tree inventory.
The tree inventory would identify the number, species and relative size of trees to help the city determine where additional maintenance and future planting may be needed. The proposal also seeks clarification of municipal liability for known hazards as the inventory is developed.
A final proposal would establish licensing or training requirements for bouncers working at alcohol-licensed establishments.
Woodfin said the priorities build on his administration’s efforts to hold negligent property owners accountable and encourage investment in Birmingham neighborhoods.
“Our partnership with the Jefferson County legislative delegation will be critical to moving these priorities forward,” Woodfin said.
Parks and Recreation Board changes remain under discussion
One issue discussed by councilors recently does not appear among the 12 items on the approved legislative agenda: a possible restructuring of the Birmingham Parks and Recreation Board.
During a recent council Committee of the Whole meeting, Councilor Darrell O’Quinn criticized the board’s longstanding structure, comparing it to “Jim Crow 2.0.” The board was established independently under state law, limiting the mayor’s direct oversight.
The issue carries historical significance. In 1961, Birmingham officials closed parks, playgrounds, golf courses and swimming pools rather than integrate them following a federal court ruling against segregated public recreation facilities. The closures lasted about two years.
More recently the city faced criticism regarding its recreation facilities, including swimming pools that repeatedly closed or didn't open during summer months.
The current debate centers on the board’s governance and who should oversee the department, rather than the segregation policies that led to those closures.
O'Quinn argued state lawmakers should amend the legislation that established the board to make clear the mayor’s authority and accountability over the department’s operations.
Alexander said the council is exploring how to improve the management of the city’s parks and recreation system. She said potential next steps include consulting with the board and department and determining whether additional state legislation would be necessary.
She also cautioned that discussions about changing the department’s oversight do not necessarily mean eliminating the board.
Alexander said the legislative agenda remains a working document and could include additional items as the city continues developing its priorities.
