Philadelphia councilmember says city needs to do more to address vacant homes

She's had roaches, mice and overgrown vines wrapping around her power lines. Mary Piazza, a longtime South Philadelphia resident, said she's been dealing with the fallout of living next door to a vacant property for two years.

Now, she's rigged up all kinds of things, like taping the door shut next door and putting a large metal box behind the gate that would make a loud noise if someone tried to get in. She said it's all she can do to keep the property safe and secure.

"I used to sleep on the sofa downstairs, and I still do because I'm afraid squatters are going to go in there or something, or there could be a fire. That's how I've been living for two years," Piazza said.

She's lived in South Philly for 57 years and said she's always had good neighbors, up until 2024 when the woman next door moved out and no one ever moved in. Soon after, Piazza said she started having mice, roaches and ants show up in her house. Out back, she put up a tarp so she doesn't have to look at the overgrowth next door.

"It's dirty, it's filthy. I can't take it. I don't want to see that," she said.

Piazza said she was forced to call a landscaper after the vines from next door grew around her power lines, causing her lights to flicker and her cable to go out. She's also had the exterminator at her house multiple times.

"It cost me money out of my pocket that I'm never going to get back for this house next door," she told CBS News Philadelphia.

Piazza and another neighbor said they've reported the house to the city's Department of Licenses and Inspections, or L&I. 

According to public records, the house is in violation for failing to maintain a clean and safe condition and overgrowth in the back. 

A spokesperson with L&I said, "Our inspector issued Violations for Exterior Area Weeds and Vacant Structure & Land Maintenance. A reinspection is scheduled for later this month to see if the issue has been rectified."

The owner is listed as RAD DIVERSIFIED REIT INC, a real estate investment firm facing fraud charges by the SEC.

Last month, the city's Quality of Life Division estimated there are approximately 8,000 vacant homes across the city.

Philadelphia Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, the chair of the housing committee, said in 2025 there were 400 properties in her district deemed unsafe.

"These are real public safety concerns," Gauthier said. "They drag down the quality of life, but the city has a lot of tools at its disposal if we just want to use them."

Gauthier told CBS News Philadelphia that L&I needs more resources and the city's law department could take more property owners to court after repeat citations.

"Right now, I see things kind of happen very much on a complaint-based basis and even then we're not getting out to these vacant properties quickly enough," she said.

Gauthier worries that if nothing changes, we could see another massive fire like the one last year in West Philly at an abandoned apartment building. Public records showed there had been 61 investigations from L&I and the building was in imminent danger of collapse.

"No amount of red tape is bigger than a four-alarm fire at a property that we let sit neglected for years," she said.

CBS News Philadelphia reached out to Mayor Cherelle Parker's office about what the administration is doing to address vacant homes. Staff sent our request to L&I.

A spokesperson said L&I has a Vacant Property Unit, which prioritizes properties based on the severity of conditions and impact on the neighborhood. They encourage people who live near an abandoned property to call 311.