According to Malcolm Brodie, the Richmond mayor, owners often wait for the right moment to develop a property, leaving their homes vacant until the opportunity arises. However, the houses attract problematic activity like vandalism and squatting, the mayor explained, and the city ends up dealing with those problems.
There were over 1,500 fire and police-related calls to abandoned properties in 2013. This results in an unnecessary use of Richmond’s resources and the city’s budget.
The bylaw would mean that owners of homes that are unsafe to the community will be charged with emergency responses to their property. The other option will be to demolish the buildings. Currently, 28 homes are being monitored by the city.
Clive Alladin, a local developer, has taken the initiative in the use of his company’s homes that have pending permits. He has been using them for families and women escaping domestic violence.
Alladin commented:
"The fact is there are many houses like this that sit there: they get vandalized, they get broken into, sometimes they are set on fire.
“It's so much better to have someone make use of it and be safe and secure and try to get on to the next step in their lives."
Individuals like Alladin can take advantage of flyer printing companies to spread information to woman’s transition houses and community centers, in offering temporary housing to those who need it while they rebuild their lives.