I run a condo building and there’s about half a dozen apartments in the building that have been sitting vacant for as long as I’ve been here for about 5 years now. The owners don’t even live in the country. Just apartments sitting there unused for years
this post was submitted on 18 Nov 2025
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they are an investment.
here in boston, chinese people buy up apartments for their children to go to college, years ahead of time. several vacant buildings near my own place. even if their kid doesn't go to school here, it's still an asset that appreciates. chinese landlord that lives half a globe away doesn't care about renting it out either. it's just a place to park their money.
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it's it a solution or more that they're are abandoned areas with empty houses in places with no jobs or investments which aren't for for a community?
I don't know why homeless people don't break into every unused house and squat in it, especially in the winter.
Eventually, that's what's going to happen, as our society switches from a Trickle Down Economy to a Robin Hood Economy (take from the Rich, give to the poor). If the MAGAs and Dems don't want that, then they better get busy establishing a Trickle UP Economy.
Yeah they do that in my city and neighborhood, unfortunately they often set the homes or apartment buildings on fire, using coffee cans full of gasoline as heat/light, or straight up cooking meth.
I wish homelessness were a problem so simple as "give them a home" but it's not. The original cause of their homelessness must be addressed for it to work. Strong safety nets must be in place, a strong welfare state, mental healthcare, training, substance abuse treatment.
Of course we could pay for that as a country but we're instead focused on multiplying the unimaginable fortunes of the ultra rich instead.
Housing first is just the most effective strategy. It doesn't solve everything, but it helps the most people fastest and is very cost effective
We have to fix a lot of things, but people focus on this because it's low hanging fruit
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Most of these houses are not in downtowns of big cities but in rural towns that are far away from everything. Not to mention, just because a unit is vacant that doesn't mean it's not being used.
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Its make believe, now everyone loose your minds!
Why: Baltimore has 10,000 vacant homes. You'll die or get seriously injured sleeping im about 90% of those. We sometimes call them bandominiums here.
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The housing market crash, I believe was a lost opportunity. When the US government had to bail out banks, why did it not ask for those houses that went belly up. Could have started a social housing aid, here it could sell luxury homes to buy low cost housing to give to its most vulnerable citizens. It paid for those houses using people's tax dollars, why not use it for the benefit of the people
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I have an idea. Why don't the empty houses just eat the smaller number of homeless people?