Contact: Joseph King
Media Relations Manager, IBHS
(813) 675-1045 (o); (813) 442-2845 (c)
jking@ibhs.org
Twitter: disastersafety
Tampa, Fla. (August 31, 2010) – Home and business owners can reduce their chances of property damage by taking measures ahead of time to protect their unoccupied house or business, according to the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS).
The number of vacant homes in the U.S. rose from 14 million in 2008, to 19 million by the first quarter of 2010, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. In addition, the number of vacant commercial properties also has risen significantly in the past few years.