When private property is taken by squatters, all of society pays a price

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Cities across America are experiencing a surge in squatting – when people illegally enter and occupy a property they have no right to inhabit. 

But many in the corporate media, such as the Washington Post, WNYC (New York City’s public broadcaster), and Dave Weigel, have published stories diminishing the importance and even existence of this trend. They, and many others, contend that recent news coverage of squatting is simply a “right-wing talking point” or “crusade” against an issue that “rarely” occurs. 

But as usual, the media is wrong, and in more ways than one.

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs bill addressing squatters into law. (Gov. Ron DeSantis/FB)

First, they needlessly politicize the issue. And second, the rise in squatting is real, especially in large cities, and bad law and shortsighted housing policy are making it worse.

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In Atlanta alone, an estimated 1,200 homes are subject to squatting, according to the National Rental Home Council. The city has struggled with this problem for over a decade, with stories of individuals moving into homes they did not own and refusing to move out dating back to 2013.

And in Philadelphia, the 2018 City Council was forced to pass an ordinance to make it easier to remove squatters. Professional squatters who understood how long it could take to remove a squatter through the courts – up to a year at the time, although in other cities like New York it can take up to two years – would move

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