Syracuse Officials to Devote More Resources to Combat Vacant Property Problem
One Community Update
April 11, 2024
Source: cnycentral.com
City officials in charge of housing policy see vacant properties as a major obstacle to achieving safer, stronger neighborhoods. Vacant buildings disproportionately account for structure fires, attract crime, and drive down the value of the properties around it.
In recent years, more resources have been thrown at the issue. This year, the goal is to accelerate those efforts as the city takes on an ambitious overhaul of its aging housing stock.
“We’re trying to take what was once an eyesore and turn it into an asset or an amenity for the neighbors,” Katelyn Wright said.
Wright is the executive director of the Greater Syracuse Land Bank, charged with restoring vacant properties. In the 10 years since the Land Bank was established, Wright said that the number of vacant properties in the city has dropped by around 800; but there are still just over 1,000 left to handle. While Wright concedes there is a lot of work to do, the Land Bank’s efforts have returned about $2 million in property taxes annually to the city.
Local direct funding is somewhat modest; the city provides about $750k, and an additional approximate $250k comes from Onondaga County. Wright said that this money is used for critical day-to-day operations to help keep them afloat, like upkeep and security at the properties they own and maintain. That kind of work helps keep Land Bank properties from causing nuisances; according to Wright, only one of their properties caught fire last year compared to dozens of other vacant properties.
For the first time, there is a budget line specifically earmarked for Land Bank seizures in the 2025 fiscal year proposal from the Mayor’s Office; this would provide the Land Bank with $300k for that purpose if approved.
Additionally, Wright commended city officials for deploying new strategies to accelerate the process of foreclosing tax-delinquent properties.
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