Oakland’s vacancy tax is generally effective and is bringing in millions every year, a new audit found, but it might not be living up to its goal of addressing the housing crisis head-on.
In 2018, voters approved Oakland’s first vacant property tax. Owners of undeveloped lots and empty buildings have to pay a flat rate of $3,000 to $6,000 per year, with some exemptions for low-income owners, nonprofits, and others. The city hoped the tax would push owners to make use of the properties sitting vacant in Oakland while a housing shortage raged around them and blight scarred the city.
Last week, Auditor Michael Houston published his office’s first report on the tax, which has been in effect for six years…