A new report from Picture the Homeless and the Center for Community Planning & Development has a proposal for the city's more than 3,500 vacant buildings: use them to house the entire homeless population of the city. (There are currently about 40,000 people in the city shelter system.) The report also proposes that 2,400 vacant lots become community gardens. But the city has no power to take control of even vacant units if they have private owners. [NYDN]
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