06/01/2026
Sometimes the first tool needed to create affordable housing isn't a hammer. It's a lawyer.
This Dutchtown four-family building sat abandoned for years. Most people could see the physical blight: broken windows, boarded openings, and neglect. What they couldn't see was the legal blight.
This property was owned by a dissolved LLC, with a lienholder located in England. Redevelopment couldn't happen until title was cleared.
Since 2018, Legal Services of Eastern Missouri's Neighborhood Advocacy Program has helped neighborhoods return more than 700 formerly vacant housing units to productive use by eliminating legal barriers that make acquisition and rehabilitation impossible.
Today, thanks to Lutheran Development Group, this building has been transformed into deeply affordable housing serving residents at or below 60% of Area Median Income.
As we talk about increasing housing supply and revitalizing neighborhoods, we should remember that many vacant properties aren't blocked only by construction challenges—they're blocked by legal challenges. Deceased owners, dissolved entities, liens, probate issues, and title defects often stand between a vacant building and a family needing a home.
Special thanks to Jason Sapp, Gray Ritter Graham, and the many pro bono attorneys who help make this work possible. And thank you to St. Louis Development Corporation - SLDC for its innovative commitment to supporting neighborhood revitalization through free legal services that help remove barriers to redevelopment.
Yesterday there were 8,592 vacant buildings in the City of St. Louis. Today there are 8,591.
