Flush with cash from new fines levied on lenders, Chicago’s Department of Buildings plans to hire three more inspectors to catch up on a backlog of 311 complaints about vacant properties.
An initial review suggests that Chicago’s revised vacant property ordinance is bringing in a lot cash to the city, and that it’s helping city officials keep better count of the number of homes sitting vacant.
Vacant homes have become a hazard to whole neighborhoods. Community groups are fighting everything from crime, to fire hazards to just keeping grass clipped.It turns out this is a problem for local governments too.
