Vacancy Taxes as a Response to the Housing Crisis

Could vacancy taxes solve multiple housing challenges at once?

1 minute read

January 30, 2020, 11:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Empty Homes

Drew Shetter / Shutterstock

Tonya Mosley reports on a push to implement new taxes on vacant properties as communities wrestle with high housing costs and homelessness.

"According to the U.S. census report, a little over 12% of units in the U.S. were vacant in the third quarter of 2019. "And an estimated 4,000 parcels are empty in Oakland [California], a city that’s also grappling with rising homelessness," writes Mosley.

Vacancy taxes are increasingly under consideration as tool for making sure all available housing units are being used. Despite the efforts of some researchers, there's still very little active data on vacancy, according to the article (see the example of anonymous shell companies buying properties with cash). Good and timely data will be necessary to calculate an effective vacancy tax.

For examples of what forms vacancy taxes can take, there are already real world examples to chose from in Vancouver, B.C. and Washington, D.C. "[T]he vacancy tax in Vancouver, Canada, is defined by an amount of time that the property is unused, while in Washington, D.C., blighted homes are assessed then taxed accordingly."

The article includes highlights from an interview with Michael Lens, associate professor of urban planning and public policy at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Monday, January 27, 2020 in WBUR

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Red and white "Wildfire Evacuation Route" sign on signpost.

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions

An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

July 10 - The Markup

Protester at Echo Park Lake, Los Angeles holding sign that says "Housing is a human right"

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?

The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

July 10 - Shelterforce Magazine

Aerial of rainbow painted crosswalks at large intersection in Castro District, Sna Francisco, California.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts

Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.

July 10 - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA