DC ‘Vacant to Vibrant’ Properties Remain Vacant

The city auctioned off 58 lots at low prices to stimulate housing development. Half are still vacant.

2 minute read

December 14, 2023, 7:00 AM PST

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


View of Washington D.C. Capitol dome through high-rise buildings in various states of construction.

Tim / Adobe Stock

Roughly two dozen properties auctioned off under Washington, D.C.’s Vacant to Vibrant program are still vacant, report Justin Wm. Moyer and Danny Nguyen in The Washington Post. “The program aimed to ‘produce and preserve affordable housing and create homeownership opportunities,’ according to promotional materials.”

According to the article, the city sold 56 sites in 2018 and 2019 in an effort to support the development of workforce housing. “Half of the 56 properties are inhabited and no longer owned by the city. The rest remain undeveloped, uninhabited or badly in need of repair. More than half of those vacant properties have returned to District ownership. In some cases, those who won auctions never took possession.”

“Joseph Schilling, who studies housing policy at the Urban Institute, said the program’s checks and balances are ‘consistent with how other cities have tried to tackle vacant properties,’ but the 1½-year deadline given to most of the developers was probably too short.” Developers are not required to provide proof of financing for a project beyond the purchase price, and the city has not penalized developers who have not fulfilled their agreements.

In contrast, a similar program in Baltimore has yielded more successful results. According to former Baltimore Housing Commissioner Michael Braverman, this was “because it identified developers who had a history of building affordable housing and partnered them with affordable housing nonprofits and community members. The program also helped developers secure financing and relaxed zoning requirements.” Baltimore also strictly enforced a system of fines for developers who failed to meet their deadlines.

Monday, December 11, 2023 in The Washington Post

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

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

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.

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Front of Walmart store with sign.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network

The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

May 7, 2025 - Inc.

Aerial view of Albuquerque, New Mexico at sunset.

New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico

An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.

May 16 - Source NM

Close-up on white bike helmet lying on pavement with blurred red bike on its side in background abd black car visible behind it.

Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes

Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.

May 16 - Wood TV 8

Muni bus on red painted bus-only lane in downtown San Francisco, California.

Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels

Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.

May 16 - Mass Transit