Abandoned, Vacant & Blighted Property in Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska
Finding and fixing problem property: the map shows vacant and tax-delinquent parcels with their owners of record, and these programs fund acquisition, demolition, cleanup, and redevelopment.
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)- Nebraska State-Administered Small Cities Program (state) - Acquisition of real property (an eligible CDBG activity),Demolition / clearance of slum and blight structures,Disposition of acquired property,Owner-occupied housing rehabilitation for LMI households (roofs, HVAC, electr. Amounts: Varies by category. Downtown Revitalization: $250,000 minimum to $435,000 maximum (2025-26 cycle; Scottsbluff received $435,000 in 2025). Pu. Administered by Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) administers HUD CDBG funds for all non-entitlement Nebraska communities (every county/incorporated municipality except the entitlement cities of Omaha, Lincoln, Bellevue, and Grand Island). Program page.
CDBG Downtown Revitalization (DTR) (federal) - Downtown commercial building facade rehabilitation,Historic restoration of downtown structures,Removal of architectural/accessibility barriers,Business facade, signage, and code-compliance loans/grants,Downtown public in. Amounts: DTR implementation: minimum award $250,000; maximum CDBG project activity $400,000 (per the 2025 Application Guidelines opportunity chart; A. Administered by Federal CDBG (HUD) dollars administered by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED), CDBG Assistance Team, 245 Fallbrook Blvd, Suite 002, Lincoln, NE 68521. Program page.
CDBG Area Benefit (Low/Moderate-Income Area Benefit, "LMA") National Objective- Nebraska CDBG Program (federal) - Acquisition of real property (HUD matrix 01) that will be developed for a public or commercial purpose serving the LMI area (e.g., land for a neighborhood park, a redevelopment site),Clearance and demolition of buildings. Amounts: Varies by funding opportunity (LMA is an eligible national objective in DTR, ED, Planning, PWF, PWI, TD). Downtown Revitalization: $250,000. Administered by Funded by HUD (24 CFR Part 570, Subpart I- State CDBG) and administered for non-entitlement Nebraska by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED), Community & Economic Development Division, 245 Fallbrook Blvd Ste 002, Lincoln NE 68521. Program page.
Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund (NAHTF) (state) - Homebuyer new construction (single-family for-sale units),Purchase/Rehab/Resale (PRR) of existing units for resale to income-eligible homebuyers,Homebuyer (down payment / closing cost) assistance, secured by Deed of Trus. Amounts: Housing Development: up to $750,000 total for Primary plus Support Activities (excludes General Administration, Housing Management, and Lead. Administered by Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED), Housing & Community Development Division, 245 Fallbrook Blvd, Suite 002, Lincoln, NE 68521. Program page.
Nebraska Arts Council - Arts Project Grant (with Micro Grant and Creative Districts pathways) (state) - Community murals on building walls/parcels,Public art commissions and new work development,Exhibitions, performances, poetry readings, arts festivals,Ethnic heritage and underserved-community arts projects,Artist fees, t. Amounts: Arts Project Grant: $2,000-$7,500 (1:1 cash match required). Micro Grant: up to $500 (no match). Mini Grant: small quick-access awards (vari. Administered by Nebraska Arts Council (NAC), a state agency, 1004 Farnam Street, Lower Level, Omaha, NE 68102. Program page.
City of Gering Tax Increment Financing (TIF) (city) - Acquisition costs of redevelopment project sites,Site preparation, demolition, grading, pre-development work,Public improvements on/adjacent to/near the project site,Architectural, engineering, and environmental services. Amounts: No fixed cap; the TIF amount equals the property-tax increment the project generates over up to 15 years. Guideline fee examples model estim. Administered by City of Gering, Nebraska. Program page.
City of Scottsbluff Tax Increment Financing (TIF) (city) - Acquisition costs of redevelopment project sites,Site preparation, demolition, grading, and other pre-development work prior to construction,Public improvements on, adjacent to, or in the general vicinity of the project. Amounts: No fixed cap. TIF proceeds equal the financeable value of the incremental property-tax revenue the new development generates over the term (. Administered by City of Scottsbluff Community Redevelopment Authority (CRA), acting with the City Council and Planning Commission under the Nebraska Community Development Law (Neb. Program page.
HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME)- Nebraska State-Administered (DED) (federal) - Acquisition of property/land for affordable housing,Rehabilitation of owner-occupied and rental housing,New construction of affordable single-family and rental units,Homebuyer down-payment/purchase assistance (purchase o. Amounts: Varies by project and annual allocation; typically tens of thousands to several hundred thousand dollars per project (CHDO set-aside is 15%. Administered by U. Program page.
HUD Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program (via Nebraska DED for non-entitlement communities) (federal) - Acquisition of real property / site assembly,Clearance, demolition, and site improvements,Rehabilitation of publicly or privately owned buildings,Construction of public facilities and infrastructure tied to redevelopment. Amounts: Typically $500,000 to $140,000,000 (project scale); for small Nebraska communities, capped by ~5x the available CDBG pledge.. Administered by U. Program page.
FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance- Acquisition/Demolition Buyouts (HMGP, FMA, and BRIC where active) (federal) - Acquisition (fee-title purchase) of flood-prone structures and land from willing sellers,Demolition/removal of the structure,Restoration of the site to open space (graded/seeded),Related project administration. Amounts: Project/portfolio scale; pays up to pre-event fair market value of the property plus demolition/closing costs (federal share typically 75%).. Administered by FEMA (federal). Program page.
EPA Brownfields Assessment and Multipurpose Grants (federal) - Phase I/II assessments; Multipurpose adds cleanup. Administered by EPA Region 7.
EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grants (federal) - Contamination remediation. Administered by EPA Region 7.
EPA Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (federal) - Cleanup loans. Administered by EPA RLF held by an EDD (PADD).
EPA Region 7 Targeted Brownfields Assessment (federal) - Free Phase I/II ESAs. Administered by EPA Region 7.
Nebraska Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP)- Brownfields liability resolution (state) - State regulatory oversight and review of investigation and cleanup,Issuance of a No Further Action / closure letter,Liability/comfort protection enabling lender and buyer confidence (not cash for the cleanup itself). Amounts: No grant; applicant pays a $2,000 application fee plus a $3,000 initial oversight deposit (oversight billed against deposit). Cleanup costs. Administered by Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment (DWEE, formerly NDEE/DEE), Brownfields and Voluntary Cleanup Program. Program page.
Brownfields Assistance Section 128(a) Assessments (free Phase I/Phase II ESAs) (state) - Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (records review, site reconnaissance, interviews),Phase II ESA (soil and groundwater sampling and analysis),Drinking-water well sampling; testing for asbestos, lead-based paint, and. Amounts: $0 cost to the applicant- assessments are performed at no charge using EPA 128(a) funds through DWEE's contractor.. Administered by Nebraska DWEE (NDEE/DEE) Brownfields Assistance Section, funded by EPA. Program page.
Brownfields Section 128(a) Orphan Tank Removal Program (OTRP) (state) - Removal of orphan underground storage tanks via state contractor,Associated environmental sampling at no cost. Amounts: $0 to the eligible applicant- DWEE pays for tank removal and sampling via its contractor.. Administered by Nebraska DWEE (NDEE/DEE) Brownfields Assistance Section, EPA 128(a)-funded. Program page.
Brownfields Section 128(a) Asbestos Cleanup Cost-Share Program (state) - 50% of the cost of asbestos removal and disposal,In limited cases, partial assistance with disposal costs for demolition of condemned buildings containing lead-based paint and/or asbestos or contaminated with hazardous s. Amounts: DWEE matches 50% of asbestos removal/disposal cost, up to $20,000 per project.. Administered by Nebraska DWEE (NDEE/DEE) Brownfields Assistance Section, EPA 128(a)-funded. Program page.
Nebraska Environmental Trust (NET) Grant Program (state) - Habitat restoration/conservation,Surface and ground water protection,Waste management (including some site/land cleanup and recycling),Air quality and soil management projects,Environmental education tied to those catego. Amounts: No minimum or maximum award; NET sets neither floor nor cap. Disbursed as reimbursement, up to three annual increments.. Administered by Nebraska Environmental Trust (Lincoln. Program page.
Nebraska Municipal Land Bank Act (acquisition/disposition vehicle for vacant, abandoned, and tax-delinquent parcels) (state) - Acquisition of tax-delinquent and abandoned parcels (including via tax-sale/foreclosure pathways),Clearing of delinquent taxes and certain liens,Holding/maintenance and assembly of parcels,Conveyance to developers/owners. Amounts: Not a cash grant- it is an acquisition/title-clearing tool. Value is in below-market or written-down conveyance and extinguished back taxes/. Administered by Enabling statute administered locally: metropolitan/primary-class cities may create stand-alone land banks. Program page.
City of Scottsbluff- East Overland Facade Improvement Grant (Community Redevelopment Authority) (city) - Facade improvements,Demolition,Parking lot repairs,Updated signage,Landscaping,Exterior curb-appeal improvements on commercial buildings. Amounts: Up to $10,000 per application; the business must match dollar-for-dollar at a minimum. Annual pool historically ~$100,000 in the city budget. Administered by City of Scottsbluff Community Redevelopment Authority (CRA), administered by the City of Scottsbluff. Program page.
Nebraska Municipal Land Bank (newly available to Scottsbluff/Gering/Terrytown after LB811/LB1135, eff. April 2026) (city) - Acquisition of tax-delinquent / abandoned parcels,Holding and title-clearing of distressed properties,Conveyance of parcels to private developers for redevelopment,Demolition and pre-development site work in some structu. Amounts: Not a cash grant to developers; value is acquisition cost/tax forgiveness and clear title. Land bank may retain 50% of real property taxes c. Administered by A municipal land bank created by a city/village (or jointly via the Interlocal Cooperation Act) under the Nebraska Municipal Land Bank Act, Neb. Program page.
Nebraska Litter Reduction and Recycling Grant Program (Cleanup category)- Keep Nebraska Beautiful affiliate route (state) - Cleanup of litter and debris from urban areas, waterways, and public-use land,Community cleanup events,Scrap tire and bulky-waste / debris collection,Recycling program equipment and operations,Public education on waste r. Amounts: ~$1.5M+ available annually statewide across all categories (recent total awards $4.3M-$9.8M/yr including scrap tire); individual grants vary. Administered by Nebraska Department of Energy and Environment (NDEE/DWEE), Litter Reduction and Recycling Program (Environmental Quality Council sets category percentages). Program page.
How matching works
Pick any parcel in Scottsbluff, Gering, Terrytown, Mitchell, Minatare, Morrill, Lyman, Melbeta, Henry, or McGrew and the map runs its facts- zoning, use, overlays (TIF/CRA, CDBG low-to-moderate-income areas), and project details- through a deterministic eligibility engine. Every answer cites a first-party authority.
Program facts summarize each administering body's published materials; follow the program links for current deadlines and rules.