challenge
Addressing population loss and the effects on housing
challenge
Addressing population loss and the effects on housing
Homes that are foreclosed and/or neglected tend to fall into disrepair and cause property values to decline, and can eventually result in home abandonment and vacancy. This effect is like a disease: if left untreated, it spreads from one home to others in the neighborhood.
Currently, the City of Cincinnati’s Department of Buildings & Inspections attempts to address this problem via building inspections and code enforcement. Building inspectors respond to citizen complaints and then work with property owners to bring their building(s) into compliance with regulations. However, under the current process, for homes that will one day become vacated, the Department of Buildings & Inspection only receives a complaint in approximately 25% of cases.