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Vacant Buildings

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1. Are all vacant buildings of concern?

Not all vacant buildings are of concern. For example, a soldier who has gone off to war, leaving his unoccupied house under the watchful care of neighbors, is not of concern. A rental house that is temporarily vacant before a new tenant moves in is not an issue. Usually landlords, family members, or friendly neighbors watch over these buildings to preserve and protect them for their owners. These are not the types of vacant buildings that contribute to urban blight. However, obviously vacant buildings that are open to entry by trespassers are the kind of buildings the City’s ordinance was designed to address.

2. Why should neighbors be concerned if a building is vacant?

Vacant buildings that are open and accessible pose a danger to the community and particularly the immediate neighborhood.

• Children are drawn to vacant buildings to explore and play.
• Other not-so-innocent trespassers are also drawn to vacant buildings. Arsonists, child molesters, drug abusers, and gangsters sometimes use vacant buildings for their crimes.
• Vacant and abandoned buildings pose a threat to firefighters. The National Fire Prevention Association reports that more firefighters are injured at fires in vacant or abandoned properties that in any other type of property. The NFPA estimates more than 6,000 firefighters per year are injured fighting fires in abandoned and vacant buildings nationwide.
• When there is a fire in a vacant building, there is typically a delay in notification to the fire department. The delay allows the fire to grow and spread, posing an increased risk. Where there are clusters of vacant buildings, the fire can spread to several buildings before it is reported.

If you observe people trespassing at a vacant building, call the non-emergency police dispatch number, (503) 629-0111.