Feds Sue Over Tough Chicago Vacant Buildings Law

Vacant homes have become an intractable problem in cities across the country precisely because no one seems to be responsible for them. The occupants have long since high-tailed. Banks don’t legally take ownership of properties until all that messy foreclosure paperwork is processed. And neighbors and city agencies are often left paying the highest price. A new report [PDF] from the Government Accountability Office notes that Detroit has spent $20 million since May of 2009 to demolish 4,000 vacant properties. And Chicago says it spent $15 million last year alone dealing with vacant buildings – most of that to demolish or board them up.

The solution seems to be to find some way of creating accountability for these properties so that cash-strapped cities aren’t stuck figuring out how to prevent them from deteriorating into eyesores, crime dens or worse. Chicago has tried some of the most innovative strategies, as our own Amy Biegelsen reported last month: