^{An abandonded commercial property at 3408 E. Grant Rd. The City deemed it a risk and demolished the building.}

New procedures and staffing to deal with uncared-for, falling down buildings (which we call Vacant and Neglected Structures – VANS) in Tucson, were adopted by Mayor and Council in early September.

The coming improvements to our VANS program, and the expected benefits, were covered in a comprehensive article by Nicole Ludden in Arizona Daily Star on September 16 (https://tinyurl.com/2t6ae4x2).

^{After the demolition, the property at 3408 E. Grant Rd. is now a vacant plot of land.}

As I told Nicole: “There’s a lot of these vacant and neglected structures, old homes and businesses that are run down. They become a focus of bad activity. It’s a constant struggle, especially with out-of-town owners, to make sure that they are maintained.”

“We’ve streamlined new procedures so that we can make it clear
to owners that this is serious, that you must take care of your property. If you can’t, then sell it and let someone else take care
of it. There’s too much of a need for housing in Tucson for us to have abandoned, derelict houses in our neighborhoods.”

A memo from the City Manager details the abatement process and new staff positions, https://tinyurl.com/zd2erw8j.

If you wish to report neglected homes or commercial buildings, please call Code Enforcement,520-791-5843.