How to Develop a Vacant Property Strategy

Communities facing more vacant properties than they can readily address need a strategy that tackles the problem as equitably, efficiently, and effectively as possible. A sound strategy rests on four pillars:

• Knowing where vacant properties are and what condition they’re in
• Knowing who owns the vacant properties
• Understanding what legal tools are available in state and local law for addressing property vacancy and abandonment
• Having a clear picture of the community’s vision, needs, and goals

A vacant property strategy should pursue two related aims: address existing vacant properties and prevent future ones. Preventing future vacancy means addressing the underlying conditions that cause properties to be abandoned in the first place, breaking the cycle rather than simply responding to its symptoms.

Two principles should guide the strategy throughout:

Be strategic: A systematic, consistent approach is far more effective than one-off bursts of code enforcement activity that respond to complaints with a flurry of citations but lack sustained follow through. Though they may produce improvement temporarily, they rarely lead to lasting change. It is equally important the strategy balance enforcement with incentives. An approach focused solely on penalizing problem owners without offering positive support for responsible ones may drive some bad actors out but leave properties in poor condition and ultimately produce more abandonment, not less.

Be realistic: Even the best strategy may not “eliminate blight” entirely. In communities with weak housing markets, underlying economic pressures will continue to push some owners to cut corners or walk away. A realistic strategy should account for this. While working with private owners to improve their properties, the strategy should build local government capacity to acquire, maintain, and ultimately return problem properties to productive use.

What to Know Before You Start

Before designing a strategy for addressing vacant and abandoned properties, communities need a clear-eyed picture of what they’re dealing with. This means going beyond simply counting their vacant properties, but to also understand ownership patterns, tax delinquency, and other property characteristics that will shape what interventions will be feasible.

Alongside this data, you must also understand the larger population and economic trends in your community. These macro forces are a crucial indicator of what revitalization is realistic.

Without this foundation, even a well-intentioned strategy will struggle to gain traction.