Make homes kept vacant unprofitable for investors

Re: “Moms occupying home raise ethical questions” (Letter to the editor, Eastbaytimes.com, Jan. 20):

Moms 4 Housing members occupying a home does raise ethical questions, but not the ones raised in a recent letter to the editor.

Hoarding during times of severe shortages, in wartime for example, has long been seen as a criminal act, especially if the goal is to increase profits to the hoarder. The Moms 4 Housing movement has done us all a service by calling our attention to the problem of vacant investor-owned housing, which has exacerbated a housing shortage and helped inflate real estate beyond the ability of most people in the community to afford.

Cities should tax or fine any housing units kept deliberately vacant for investment purposes. Making such “investments” unprofitable might go a long way toward opening up this real estate for human beings needing a roof over their heads. The “ethical dilemma” between the right to make money and the right to live is a no-brainer.

— Deborah Bayer, Richmond