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

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

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.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

1984 Olympics

LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles

LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.

19 minutes ago - Newsweek

Close-up on woman in white and blue striped knee-length dress standing next to mint green cruiser bike resting against low wrought iron fence in front of green lawn.

Paris Voters Approve More Car-Free Streets

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says the city will develop a plan to close 500 streets to car traffic and add new bike and pedestrian infrastructure after a referendum on the proposal passed with 66 percent of the vote.

1 hour ago - domus

Close-up of man in manually operated wheelchair waiting at urban crosswalk.

Making Mobility More Inclusive

A new study highlights the challenges people with disabilities continue to face in navigating urban spaces.

2 hours ago - Greater Good Magazine