“Vacancy becomes a disease, and it’s contagious,” said Bridget Gainer, a Cook County Commissioner and chair of the Cook County Land Bank Authority. The land bank has helped put around 865 vacant lots and more than 1,100 abandoned buildings back on tax rolls since it formed in 2013, a goal pursued by other cities.
Too Many Vacant Lots, Not Enough Housing: The U.S. Real-Estate Puzzle