Sanchez calls for more security in city’s vacant buildings

It looks like owners of vacant properties in Philadelphia will have to do more to keep squatters out. The matter had a rare Friday committee hearing at City Council.

The issue of high risk vacant buildings came to the forefront after a fire at a Kensington warehouse killed two Philadelphia firefighters this month.  Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez is pushing a bill that calls for sealing doors and windows on empty buildings using 14 gauge rust proof metal instead of plywood.   She says the extra strength is needed to keep vandals, scavengers out of vacant buildings.

“We’re call it our steel seal bill and basically it sets a standard for how and what kind of materials should be used for sealing buildings,” said Quinones-Sanchez.

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