PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) – Providence officials estimate that hundreds of vacant and abandoned homes across the city could be subject to a new “non-utilization” tax targeting the empty properties, but they are still establishing guidelines for the new tax.

Under an ordinance approved by the City Council and signed into law by Mayor Jorge Elorza, some owners of residential properties deemed by Department of Inspection and Standards to be vacant would pay $100 per $1,000 of assessed value on top of the existing property tax.

In other words, the owner of a vacant property assessed at $100,000 could go from paying $3,191 a year in taxes to $13,191, according to the ordinance.

“It is in the best interest of all Providence residents that we address the vacant and abandoned properties that negatively impact the quality of life in our communities,” Elorza said in prepared statement issued Monday, a day before voters head to the polls. He signed the ordinance Oct. 9.

“The non-utilization fee aligns with our EveryHome program by holding property owners accountable while encouraging them to rehabilitate properties into productive reuse,” Elorza said. “This powerful tool will help us to support stronger, more vibrant neighborhoods throughout the capital city.”

EveryHome is the administration’s suite of tools designed to address vacant properties in the city. Emily Crowell, a spokesperson for Elorza, said the Department of Inspections and Standards believes the tax could apply to “hundreds” of properties.

While administration officials have estimated there are more than 700 vacant or abandoned properties in Providence, the new tax would only apply to properties determined to be “continuously unoccupied; under continuous citation; not maintained as evidenced by the exterior condition; or a lot with no existing structure that is littered with trash and obviously abandoned.”

The tax would not apply to properties owned by an abutting neighbor, a new owner or a nonprofit if a development plan is submitted to the city and the city agrees the proposal includes a reasonable timetable for development and the owner has adequate funding. The tax would also not apply to properties the quasi-public Rhode Island Housing holds an interest in.

“Abandoned and neglected properties in our neighborhoods cause real-time issues for neighbors besides potentially being an eyesore,” City Councilwoman Sabina Matos, who led the charge to pass the ordinance, said in a statement.

“They bring down property values; they can draw pests, become sites for illegal activity, and can destroy the character of a neighborhood,” she continued. “Keeping property owners accountable will not only help preserve our unique and diverse neighborhoods but will also improve the quality of life for all our neighbors.”

State law allows cities and towns to impose a non-utilization tax on property owners, but Providence has not done so in recent years.

The tax won’t take effect until next year.

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Dan McGowan ( dmcgowan@wpri.com ) covers politics, education and the city of Providence for WPRI.com. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter: @danmcgowan