#12

Foreclosures impact neighborhoods and communities in other ways such as crime. Vacant and abandoned buildings are signs of negligence and decay. Abandoned houses and buildings reduce house values of the neighborhood. They also pose threat in terms of decay by sewage and stray animals and are a haven for criminals and drug peddlers. They are a public safety hazard as they could become a target of theft and increase vandalism within the community. There is a strong correlation between high levels of foreclosures and violent crime, such that every 2.8 foreclosures out of a hundred increase violent crime by 6.7 percent.