Mayor Woodfin, City Council Unite Behind 2027 Legislative Agenda to Build Safer Neighborhoods, Strengthen Economy

City of Birmingham

The Birmingham City Council today approved the City of Birmingham’s 2027 State Legislative Agenda, supporting a series of proposals to remove blight, make neighborhoods safer, expand affordable housing, and create conditions for economic growth across the city.

“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,” Mayor Randall L. Woodfin said. “When we remove blight, we make our neighborhoods safer, and safer neighborhoods are the foundation for economic growth. I appreciate the City Council’s partnership in advancing these shared priorities. This agenda gives Birmingham the tools to address longstanding challenges, strengthen our neighborhoods, and improve the everyday lives of the people we serve.”

The agenda builds on the Woodfin administration’s ongoing efforts to hold negligent property owners accountable, return abandoned properties to productive use, provide residents with safe, stable neighborhoods, and enhance opportunities where businesses, builders, and families choose to invest.

The City’s legislative priorities include:

• Birmingham Housing Trust Fund: Authorizing the city to establish a dedicated fund to support the development and preservation of safe, affordable housing.
• Blight Tax and Property Registration: Establishing a registration requirement for blighted properties and authorizing additional tax assessments on properties that remain neglected.
• Alabama Land Bank Act Amendment: Expanding the authority of local land banks to acquire tax-delinquent properties more efficiently and return vacant properties to productive use.
• Nuisance and Blight Abatement: Strengthening the city’s ability to remove abandoned debris, address overgrown properties, and streamline enforcement against repeat nuisance properties.
• Code Enforcement: Establishing a judicial process for administrative inspection warrants to help city officials address potential code violations while protecting property owners’ rights.
• Historic Tax Credit Renewal: Extending Alabama’s Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit program to support continued investment in historic properties and neighborhoods.
• Community Mental Health and Homelessness Response: Supporting a coordinated approach to behavioral health, homelessness services, and crisis response, including additional resources for treatment and outreach.

Additional priorities address municipal grant programs, infrastructure liability, tree inventory and maintenance, and licensing and training requirements for security personnel at alcohol-licensed establishments.

These proposals reflect the city’s view that public safety, neighborhood revitalization and economic development are connected. Returning vacant properties to productive use, whether as new homes, rehabilitated historic buildings or commercial space, puts land back on the tax rolls, attracts private investment and brings new activity to neighborhoods.

The agenda will guide the city’s advocacy efforts during the Alabama Legislature’s 2027 Regular Session. Several proposals would give Birmingham additional authority under state law to address challenges that directly affect residents and neighborhoods.

“Our partnership with the Jefferson County legislative delegation will be critical to moving these priorities forward,” Woodfin said. “We look forward to working with our state legislators to advance solutions that put Birmingham residents first and help build stronger, safer neighborhoods and a stronger local economy for generations to come.”