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vacant properties
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Trying to Transform Squats into Public Housing in São Paulo
In São Paulo, vacant housing units outnumber the unhoused, 12 times over. Across the city, residents have responded by seizing abandoned buildings to turn them into affordable housing. Will the government step up to convert these buildings into public housing?
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Supreme Court Decision: Good for Homeowners, Bad for Land Banks?
A SCOTUS ruling that protects a homeowner’s equity may end up benefiting speculators and hurting land banks.
Squatters Ask Chicago: Why So Many Vacancies?
Officials in Chicago are struggling to address the city’s homelessness and housing crises. So why does the Chicago Public Housing Authority have one of the highest rates of vacancy in the country?
West Virginia Tackles Vacancy With Tax Reform
In 2018, Shelterforce wrote about the Center for Community Progress’s recommendations for tax reform in West Virginia to address vacancy. Guided by CCP’s suggestions, the state auditor’s office has recently passed two laws to change its tax sales process and keep properties in use.
Why Housing Policy Should Include More Funding for Home Repairs
Researchers found that older homeowners in St. Louis averaged $13,000 in unmet home repairs. Here’s how advocates can measure home repair need in their own cities, and why repairs make a difference.
New Yorkers Need Land. The NYPD Is Sitting On Nearly 150 Lots.
A new map reveals how much land in New York City is being wasted by city police—often sitting vacant, rather than serving the public good.
Land Owned by LLCs More Likely to Be Vacant
NYC’s land speculators use LLCs to evade legal responsibility while sitting on vacant property.
Vacant Homes Wither Under Flawed Tax Sale System
Outdated tax sale rules and predatory investment practices keep Baltimore homes in a revolving door of vacancy. But that could soon change.
Can We Curb Crime by Cleaning the Corner?
As communities discuss reeling in their police departments, Flint, Michigan and Binghamton, New York have turned to another tool to reduce crime.
Homeless Mothers in California Show How Radical Housing Activism Becomes Lasting Change
Moms 4 Housing and LA Reclaimers have proven that successful grassroots organizing can turn headline-grabbing occupations into long-term affordable housing.
6 Ways to Prevent Post-COVID Vacancy
Local governments must explore ways to minimize commercial and residential property deterioration and subsequent vacancy.
History Shows that in Times of Crisis, Housing Activists Get Radical
A recent spate of vacant home occupations echo squatters campaigns of the past.
State Policies Play a Central Role in the Fight Against Vacant Property
Abandoned and vacant properties seem like a quintessentially local problem. But state policies have a huge effect on how well municipalities can fight it.