The vacancy is a problem everywhere, but it isn’t one problem. There are two very different flavors and this tax helps one of the flavors and would destroy the other. Weak market cities like Cleveland and Detroit have vacancy rates that are astounding, but a vacancy tax would almost certainly lead to a massive increase in arson rather than decreased prices. It is already possible to buy a lot of homes in this city for a dollar.Just to maintain the minimum compliance with laws like grass height pushes these homes well into negative commercial value. A tax would push that further. Historically one way to reduce that tax burden is an “accidental” fire. You can also decrease spending on security for the building (like not replacing the door after squatters break it open) and you’ll probably end up with an actual accidental fire after a while. The numbers are out of date, but here are the top cities for arson a few years ago and you’ll note that they fit a pattern https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2013/03/burning_flint_10_cities_with_t_1.html The South Bronx had the same problem at the bottom of their market.
