(Washington, DC) – Mayor Adrian M. Fenty on Thursday announced the District will sell at auction 31 vacant single-family homes and apartment buildings located across the city.

“These buildings are neighborhood eyesores,” Mayor Fenty said. “They have been the source of constant problems in our neighborhoods for far too long. It is critical that we get these properties back into productive use as fast as possible.

Located in seven of the District’s eight wards, the majority of the properties are clustered in Columbia Heights, Shaw, LeDroit Park, Trinidad and Deanwood. Columbia Heights has the most properties for sale than any other neighborhood. The District acquired the properties for a number of reasons including tax foreclosures, friendly acquisitions and eminent domain – after accumulating numerous code violations and complaints. The properties are currently in the portfolio of the Department of Housing and Community Development, which is coordinating the auction.

The auction will be held on Friday, January 30, 2009 at 2 pm at 441 Fourth Street, NW. More than 200 potential buyers attended a pre-bid conference last week. Follow this link to view the properties.

Mayor Fenty also announced today that the District launched DCHousingSearch.org, an interactive housing database of rental and homeownership opportunities throughout the city. The site also includes an affordability calculator and links to rental housing advocacy organizations.

To date, 64 for-profit and nonprofit housing providers have listed more than 5,672 units in the system and more than 600 units are currently available.