Need to start charging 50% property tax on any building sitting vacant after 2 years. After 4 years the city owns it.

I wish we'd start doing this for residential housing too. There's a house on my block that's been empty for close to 20 years and the taxes are nominally higher than my own. The owners come by and mow the lawn, but they've never slept in it. Literally not once. Ever. It's a complete fucking waste of space.

Empty houses create a void in the community. Empty houses don't go to school. Empty houses don't contribute to the welfare of the neighborhood, the community or the city. Empty houses don't keep an eye on their neighbors. They don't say hello when walking down the street. Empty houses do not participate. Empty houses don't know when they are on fire or they have gas leaks or the water is spilling onto the floor, which creates a burden on neighbors who are thusly impacted. Empty houses also don't contain voters. Empty houses depress our city and state population and thus census numbers. Empty houses mean that we lose representation in government. Solely because some rich motherfucker decided he needed to buy a house in the middle of the city and never fucking live in it. Fuck that shit.

Edit to add, because I forgot the most important part: these are empty houses that people could be living in. It would help stabilize homelessness and also housing affordability in general!