CLEVELAND — An exhaustive look at Cleveland's housing and building inventory reveals an increase in vacant lots, a lack of investment from out-of-state landlords, and more than 1,400 vacant structures are deemed an immediate safety hazard.Earlier this year, News 5 went door-to-door with inspectors for part of their 1,400-mile journey weaving across the city, examining home after home, building after building, looking at the details and grading them from A to F.
We don’t just report the initial story—we follow through to its conclusion. Read and watch our previous reporting on this story below and see more stories that we've followed through on here. Other takeaways include how half of all vacant buildings in the city were given a D or an F grade, while 94% of all occupied buildings received an A to C grade.
As a result, the report detailed that there are more vacant lots than ever before, making up 20% of the city's inventory. "At the end of the day, this data means nothing unless it directly benefits the residents and businesses within our city," said Isaac Robb, Vice President of Planning and Urban Projects at the Western Reserve Land Conservancy.