The fight against vacant buildings in this community is one that has covered the last 30 years. Outlined below are some of the key programs, laws, and regulations that have been enacted. Some are linked to web pages where more detail is available.

Housing Conservation About 2/3rds of the City of St. Louis is in a Housing Conservation District.

• Ordinance No. 63838 (July 1996). The City will place a lien on properties that have become a public nuisance and have been condemned. The lien will be in the form of a special tax bill. 25% of any insurance payments collected on the building must also go to the city.
• Ordinance No. 63908 (November 1996). Notice of Condemnation. A code official will notify owners in writing, ordering them to demolish, repair, or secure buildings affected within days of receiving the notice. If owners do not take the required actions, the city will condemn the building, and the building will have to be vacated and secured or demolished.
• Ordinance No. 64679 (June 1999). The City has the authority to post and publish a notice whenever a building has been condemned for occupancy within the previous 12 months.
• Ordinance No. 64771 (October 1999). The City adopted the BOCA Code as its building code. This ordinance also established a $200 semi-annual registration fee for vacant buildings.
• Ordinance No. 65023 (2000). The City adopted the International Property Maintainance Code.

  In 1998 the City of St. Louis issued $11 million in bonds for the demolition of 1,475 abandoned and derelict buildings. Between January 1998 and September 2000, the City demolished 1,476 buildings. An additional 693 buildings were demolished by private individuals.

  In 1999 former Mayor Clarence Harmon created the Housing Court to deal with housing code violations and to refer violators to resources that might help them correct the violations.

  People charged with violations who do not show up in court are now subject to arrest. People who are found guilty can be sentenced to community service or jail time.

City of East St. Louis
• East St. Louis' problems with abandoned buildings began in the 1960s and 1970s when the city's industrial base left or closed down, and when many homes and businesses were demolished to make way for the I-55, I-64, and I-70 interchange. Many residents abandoned the city during this same period to avoid integration. East St. Louis lost 15,000 jobs from 1960 to 1990, and its tax base shrank from $560 million to $190 million between 1970 and 1990.