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� C��mprchcnsi�c Nci��hb��urh«cxi 4ici:_+i�_��.� C'ir�r;�cfc��iriu�� l�c_lii�r .� Property Problem (2000) identifies factors that contribute to the problem of vacant and abandoned property in central cities of the US (ibid. pp. 301-302): • Federal policies subsidised outmigration of the middle-class, favoured new construction over existing developments, and sanctioned the redlining of vast areas of the inner cities. • The new interstate highway programs opened up inexpensive and minimally taxed land on the urban fringe for industrial and residential developments. • With falling revenues in the worst inner-city neighbourhoods, nonessential repairs were delayed or stopped; mortgage obligations went into default; and property tax payments were stopped, starting the timetable for loss of ownership and abandonment. • Functioning of housing markets resulted in the process of filtering. ■ State and local policies such as laws regarding wills, probate, titles, property descriptions and surveys, the way that localities assess real estate and foreclose on tax delinquent properties, have also played a role. The research findings shown in the Table 1 reveal the types of vacant and abandoned property that are perceived as most problematic. Single- and multi-family housing, followed by retail properties and vacant land, were reported as the most problematic types. Industrial and office properties were an issue for fewer cities. This pattern persists in all regions of the country regardless city size or its growth rate (ibid.). Table 1. Most Problematic Types of Vacant and Abandoned Properties by Region2. Source: adapted from Accordino and Johnson 2000. Type of Abandoned Property Total Single-Family Homes [**] 43 Multi-Family Complexes [*] 3,g Retail Buildings [*] 3.5 Land [**l 33 Industrial Buildings [**] ?,9 Office Buildings [o] 2.7 The problem of housing abandonment is viewed usually as an indicator of urban decline rather than a cause. However, as stated by Cohen (2001), "although it is true that abandoned homes are symptomatic of other problems, they also contribute to neighbourhood decline and frustrate revitalization efforts by becoming eyesores, fire hazards, and sites for drug-related activity, vagrancy, and rodent infestation" (ibid. p. 416). Burchell and Listokin (1981) also indicate that abandonment is both a"symptom and a disease". It is a sign of poverty, selected migration, unemployment, and the tax 2 The table depicts averages of rank orderings given to types of properties by respondents from 1(least problematic) to 6(most problematic). * Statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. ** Statislically significant at the 90% confidence level. ° Not significant. N= 145. 20