Over the last week and a half, at least five vacant houses in Baltimore City have collapsed. The first, on March 28th, killed a man as he was sitting in his car in a vacant lot next door. The rest tumbled down during high winds last weekend. According to the Baltimore Sun, more than 500 buildings in Baltimore are considered so close to collapse that city inspectors visit them every 10 days. Many of these are row houses, making the risk of collapse extra troubling for neighbors. How common are collapses? Who owns these buildings? What is the city doing to prevent collapses, and what should the city be doing?
Guests: Michael Braverman, Baltimore Housing’s Deputy Commissioner for Code Enforcement; Ed Ericson, staff writer for Baltimore City Paper; Carol Ott, director of Housing Policy Watch.
