Vacant houses in a neighborhood are enough of a challenge, but they present an even bigger problem if they catch fire. It’s a symptom of Syracuse’s ongoing struggle to address the housing shortage.
A new report from city auditor Alexander Marion finds more than a third of the 87 house fires last year were in vacant structures. He said besides the danger to firefighters and the cost incurred to fight them, the homes have little chance of ever housing future residents.
“Once there is a fire, that is highly unlikely to ever happen again," Marion said. "Either the building will sit there and deteriorate and decay because the cost of rehabilitation exceeds the value of the property, or it will be torn down. Many of these are old structures and are on lots that are no longer considered buildable under our zoning code.”
Marion said the city’s minimum lot size is 33 feet. But many lots are 25 feet wide, so no new housing can be built. One of his recommendations is to adjust the code.
He said his report also found the properties share common underlying issues such as other nearby fires, no water or gas service, and unpaid taxes, all reasons Marion said for the city to be more proactive. He acknowledged the city might already be fighting stubborn owners in court, putting the properties at risk.
“Folks will come in right at the last minute and pay just enough of their taxes so we can't seize them and then they don't pay their taxes again until we start the process over two or three years later," Marion said. "There are lots of ways for folks to game the system, but I think by using an early warning system. We can predict the next 50 or 100 properties where this is going to happen.”
Marion also recommended additional safety measures such as more securely boarding up properties against squatters, posting a large red and white "X" on the house so residents and firefighters know it's vacant and unsafe, and forcing compliance with the vacant property registry. He said only a quarter of the city’s estimated 1,600 vacant houses are officially in city records.
