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Scottish Charity Register No. SC043760

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Empty homes in US outnumber homeless

May 21 2009
One in 10 properties in some cities are abandoned, and they often still have heat, lights and water The sub-prime lending crisis has meant that there are now more empty homes than homeless people in some US states. Hundreds and thousands of houses have been repossessed because of the crisis, which has left as many as one in 10 properties abandoned in some cities. Most nights, there are now more vacant properties than rough sleepers. In Cleveland, for example, it is estimated that there are 4,000 homeless people, but 15,000 houses vacant due to foreclosures. And more and more squatters are taking advantage of this, sleeping in the empty homes instead of on the streets or in shelters, as many of the repossessed homes often still have heat, lights and water. Brian Davis, of the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless said: "Many homeless people see the foreclosure crisis as an opportunity to find housing with some privacy." But squatting can be dangerous, as the locations can attract drug dealers, prostitutes and eventually, the police. Another consequence of the housing crisis has been the rise in tenants facing eviction, after their landlords defaulted on payments. Teacher Stuart Briggs was plunged into a nightmare when lenders foreclosed on his landlord last year; his utilities were cut off and he endured months with no lights or working toilets. "We had no idea this was coming," he said. "We were stranded."
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