ABANDONED HOUSING AND ITS PEOPLE: THE CASE OF NEW YORK CITY*

This paper reviews the problem of housing abandonment and discusses local government responses to this issue. New York City is used as a case study because of its large number of abandoned buildings and its varied policies. A framework was developed to examine neighborhood change in terms of three dimensions: physical, social, and perceptual conditions. This approach will allow for studies to evaluate the impacts of public policies on housing abandonment and its people, thus enabling the selection of relevant and proven interventions. Such research may also facilitate local government efforts to develop policies toward preventing housing abandonment before it occurs.