Posts tagged Vacant Homes
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Breakfast links: New Metrorail faregates curbed rate of evasion by more than 70%
New Metro faregates reduced rate of fare evasion by over 70%. Baltimore MobilityLink drivers demand better pay, bedbug mitigation in vehicles. Environmental groups sue to stop Virginia pullout from greenhouse gas initiative. Keep reading…
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Why vacant homes won’t solve our housing shortage
One frequently-heard retort to any call to allow more housing construction is a single statistic: There are 17 million vacant houses, more than 30 for every American experiencing homelessness during the 2018 Point-In-Time survey. While those vacant houses do exist, they exist for complicated reasons. Keep reading…
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“No vacancy” is a problem when people need homes
“Now Leasing” signs seem to be ubiquitous on apartment buildings across the region, from the eerily dark new high-rises downtown to well-worn mid-century garden apartments with colorful banners out front. Yet at the same time, experts agree that the area has a housing shortage. What gives? Keep reading…
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Why is that house or storefront vacant?
In an area like DC where the population is growing, one question often vexes neighbors: why is that house or storefront vacant? It just doesn’t seem to make sense. Why do landlords leave properties empty when they could be getting rent? Keep reading…
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Baltimore’s peers have lessons for Charm City’s $1 home program
As a followup to our initial post about Baltimore's potential $1 home program, we decided to take a look at how successful these initiatives have been in other cities. People line up for dollar homes, but in most cases the initial enthusiasm meets the tough realization that a $1 property would not be habitable from day one. Keep reading…
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Baltimore may sell homes for $1 instead of demolishing them
Baltimore's population decline has led to a dearth of buildings, some which have been left to deteriorate. Now the city is considering a measure that would allow people to buy homes for $1 instead of demolishing them. Keep reading…
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Should these Anacostia homes become affordable housing?
Four homes in Historic Anacostia have sat vacant and in disrepair for decades, despite years of neighbors’ efforts to redevelop and preserve them. The DC government owns these blighted properties and just recently designated them to be rehabilitated and turned into affordable housing. But some neighbors and DC Councilmembers say an earlier plan— one that would make them market rate homes— should be the one moving forward. Keep reading…