Advocates for more affordable housing units in Denver are floating the idea of what’s known as a “Ghost Tax” or VHT- vacant home tax- on Denver landlords as a new way to raise money to create more affordable housing in Denver. These kinds of taxes or fees are imposed on landlords whose properties are vacant and not rented for an extended period of time- typically about six months.
They are used as a tool in a handful of American cities and Canada to encourage property owners to rent or sell their homes and thereby increase the stock of affordable housing.
“Well, it’s certainly not very well thought through,” said Drew Hamrick, general counsel and vice president of government affairs for the Apartment Association of Metro Denver. “This is a level of intrusiveness in government that Denverites don’t want to tolerate and don’t want to live under.”…