No Room for the Poor—The Blight of Eminent Domain on America’s Lowest Economic Classes

Note - Online Edition - Volume 94

“Blight” is the label used by U.S. law to describe property that is considered to be dilapidated or injurious to public health. In much of the U.S., it is easier to use eminent domain to condemn a property if it is deemed “blighted.” This Note examines the negative effects that condemning such properties can have on residents of “blighted” areas and proposes some changes to the law that would better protect these residents from the costs associated with condemnation.

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