'They're burning': activist wants city to do better job getting vacant homes back in use

One inner city activist says the city needs to do a better job of getting vacant city-owned properties back in use, and prevent them from burning down.

An empty lot on Alexander Avenue was the site of a vacant house fire last year. At the time, the property was owned by the City of Winnipeg.

"It's a problem because number one they're burning," said Sel Burrows, a community activist in the inner city.

Changes to a city a bylaw making their way through city hall would see owners of vacant buildings charged the costs of fighting fires in the empty dwellings should a blaze happen on their property.

It is a move aimed at getting the owners to better secure their sites to prevent arson.

"We have to have a stronger tough-as-nails approach," said Coun. Sherri Rollins, chair of the city's property committee.

While most are privately owned, the city has taken the title of some properties in some cases because of derelict landlords or a failure to pay property taxes.

There have been fires in some of those homes. Between 2019 and 2022, there were five fires in city-owned vacant houses.

"Who pays when a city-owned vacant house requires the fire department to go?" Burrows questioned.

He says the city needs to take possession of the problem homes faster and dispose of them sooner for redevelopment.

"These houses, which could be housing people in low-rental housing, are burning and being destroyed," he said.

However, that may be easier said than done.

On Monday, the city's property committee heard the court process can hold up plans for the city to take vacant houses. Homeowners are given up to three years to pay taxes in arrears to ensure the city doesn't end up taking a large stock of homes through the tax sale process

"It's supposed to be an incentive for people to pay their taxes, so there is the danger there. It's meant to be a balance we need to find," Gord Chappell, the acting manager of the city's real estate and land development, told the property committee on Monday.

The city says of the 500 vacant houses being monitored for bylaw compliance – like having the windows properly boarded – only nine are currently owned by the city.

Of those, one has been conditionally sold and four are for sale. The remaining four are being prepared for a sale.

"Some of these buildings don't have any market value, so they're sitting on inventory for a while," said Chappell. "We've got them listed."

CTV News asked the city who would pay in the case of a fire at a city-owned vacant property. The city was not able to respond by deadline.

As for when the changes to the city's bylaw could be put in place, city council is set to vote on them later this month.