Posts by David Gottfried — Contributor
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DC will have even fewer vacant properties if a new law makes these changes
There are major problems with how DC counts and taxes its vacant buildings, and on Thursday, the DC Council will hold a hearing on two bills aimed at fixing them. The new laws will hold vacant building owners more accountable, but there are still ways to further the laws’ reach. Keep reading…
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This new law would mean a better count of DC’s vacant buildings
DC probably has a lot more vacant and blighted properties than its official count says, largely because of loophopes in the counting system. A bill before the DC Council is aiming to change that. Keep reading…
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DC has way more vacant properties than it thinks
Editor’s note: While this post has two authors, it’s written from David Sheon’s perspective. The official count of vacant and blighted properties in DC is about 1,200, but in reality, there are likely many more. The reasons for the discrepancy? A number of loopholes in the system for counting these properties, and not enough staff to close them. Keep reading…