Sacramento’s vacancy problem is on the agenda. Show up.

The City of Sacramento’s Law and Legislation Committee meets Tuesday, March 17 at 11:00 a.m. at City Hall, 915 I Street (agenda). Two items on the agenda directly affect our work — and we need voices in the room.

What’s happening

The City is voting to expand its vacant property enforcement program to cover vacant buildings and storefronts for the first time. We support this step. But enforcement alone won’t change the math that makes vacancy profitable for large property owners. Here is Our Analysis on this issue. We’ll be there to say so on the record and to make sure the new registry is designed to support a real vacancy tax down the road.

The City is also formally closing its own exploration of a vacancy tax — but its staff report documents the citizen initiative pathway that only requires a simple majority vote. That’s the 2028 route we’re already building toward.

How to help

Come in person — City Hall, 915 I Street, Tuesday March 17, 11:00 a.m. Public speakers get 2 minutes. Personal stories about specific vacant properties in your neighborhood are especially powerful.

Submit a written comment — Can’t make it? Written comments submitted before the meeting closes become part of the official record. [Direct link to meetings.cityofsacramento.org eComment]

Download the talking points — Mix and match. You don’t need to use all of them. [Link to talking points PDF]

Why this matters

Sacramento has over 5,100 vacant lots citywide — and that doesn’t count the empty storefronts on K Street, J Street, and corridors across the city. Many of those vacancies aren’t accidents. They’re a strategy. [Link to Shuttered one-pager] A monitoring fee won’t change that. A scaled vacancy tax will.

Oakland, Berkeley, San Francisco, and Stockton have all acted. Sacramento can too.