Vacant buildings and lots are everywhere you look in New York City.

But government officials say it's not a problem... and even if it was, there's no money to count these properties.

To prove that vacant property is still a huge problem in this city, and that a census of these buildings and lots can be accomplished without breaking the bank, we're turning this project over to the public. Vacant NYC is a crowd-sourced solution, soliciting input from New Yorkers who notice property going to waste in the neighborhoods where they live and work and play.

If you see something, say something. If you see any vacant lots or boarded-up buildings, let us know about them. Email us. Text it to us. Fill out the form on this website. Stalled construction sites? Shiny new condos that don't have only a couple of units occupied, or none at all? REPORT THEM TO VACANT NYC.

Long before the current economic catastrophe, vacant property was an issue. And as money stops flowing and construction stalls on current projects, and high-ticket condos sit vacant because no one can afford them anymore, the problem has only gotten worse.

For years, homeless people have been demanding action from city government around the massive numbers of vacant buildings and lots in New York City. While the city spends hundreds of millions of dollars a year on providing shelter to the homeless, perfectly good property languishes in the hands of private landlords and city agencies.

This isn't just about housing for the homeless. Vacant NYC is about housing for all New Yorkers. Keeping a lot of units off the market is an intentional strategy of real estate interests, so that we all have to pay more for the housing that is available.

One crucial first step is COUNTING these vacant properties. In 2006, when Picture the Homeless partnered with Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer to count vacant property in Manhattan, we found that there were enough potential apartments in vacant buildings and lots IN THAT BOROUGH ALONE, to house every homeless household in the city (CLICK HERE to read our full report). And in Boston, where they already do a vacant building count, they've seen the quantity of empty property decline by 67% since they started counting.

That's why homeless people drafted Intro 48, a bill in the City Council that would empower the city to conduct an annual count of vacant buildings and lots. And because this bill is just common-sense, it quickly racked up 26 co-sponsors - a majority of the city council.

So we were shocked when we were finally informed by some back-room bureaucrats in the New York City Council's Policy Division, that œwith this legislation, this is not something we're interested in moving forward, and we're setting it to the side.

These behind-the-scenes flunkies say they're concerned about the cost. But we commissioned two separate cost analyses, and both of them came in under $75,000. And Mayor Bloomberg wants to spend sixteen million dollars to move the fountain in Washington Square Park ten feet to the left! To say nothing of the $865 million the city spent last year alone, operating homeless shelters.

So we're taking it to the streets. And the people. We'll count these vacant properties ourselves. And we'll prove that there is enough property going to waste to make a real difference in the NYC housing market. Not just for homeless people. For everyone. When all those empty units come back online, the overall cost of housing in New York City will drop.

And that's something all New Yorkers want to see.