http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/articles/homeowner-vacancy-rates-remain-virtually-unchanged-in-2009-54571.aspx

Homeowner vacancy rates remained virtually unchanged in the fourth quarter of 2009, compared with the rest of 2009 and the fourth quarter of 2008. To reduce the vacancy trend, HUD recently announced a program to provide financing for buyers purchasing REO property as a primary residence. See the following article from HousingWire for more on this.

The national vacancy rate for “homeowner” housing units remained at 2.7% in Q409, unchanged from Q109, according to the US Department of Commerce.

The rate only slightly wavered from 2.9% at the end of 2008 and 2.6% in Q309. The highest the rate has ever climbed since 1996 was to 2.9% in Q108 and again in Q408.

For rental housing, the vacancy rate dropped to 10.7% in Q409 from 11.1% in the previous quarter but increased from 10.1% in the last quarter of 2008.

For Q409, more vacancies appeared in principal cities, 3.1%, compared to 2.5% in the surrounding suburbs, according to the report. The rate within the city dropped from 3.5% in the fourth quarter of 2008.

More vacancies appeared in the South, 2.9%, edging 2.8% in the Midwest and 2.7% in the West. The Northeast region had a 1.9% vacancy rate. The South also had the highest rental vacancy rate of 13.7% in Q409. The Midwest had a 11.2% rental vacancy rate, followed by the West, 8.9%, and the Northeast, at 7.2%.

To combat vacancies, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced that it would provide financing for owner-occupants looking to purchase real-estate owned (REO) property. Cities like Detroit are taking on the vacancy problem with programs like the Retaining Occupancy on Foreclosure (ROOF) program that allow the previous owners of a foreclosed home to stay for up to three months for a fee.

http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/articles/homeowner-vacancy-rates-remain-virtually-unchanged-in-2009-54571.aspx