1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

California needs a statewide vacancy tax on empty residential and commercial properties, and it needs to apply to any landlord that isn't a small, independent owner. Corporate and institutional property holders are sitting on vacant storefronts and housing units while downtowns hollow out and renters get squeezed. That's a choice, and right now it's a free one. A well-designed vacancy tax changes that calculus. Exempt the mom-and-pop landlord renting out a single unit or a small family-owned storefront — they're not the problem. The problem is large-scale owners who warehouse property, waiting for valuations to climb while communities pay the price in shuttered businesses and housing scarcity. Tax the vacancy, and suddenly activation becomes more attractive than inaction. California has the tools and the precedent to make this work. Get this done.