When a building is left abandoned, it leaves no protection for the building itself. These buildings are left to decay and rot, while new buildings are created around them. These buildings should be used, regardless of if they were once homes or businesses. 

The main problem with abandoned buildings is the fact that they bring down the integrity of a neighborhood, and cause property value to decrease dramatically. These buildings also cause crime rates to worsen, and they are overall not beneficial to public health. When these buildings are left abandoned, it leads to a site for criminal activity. 

There are numerous ways that these buildings can be repurposed regardless if they are creating new homes, new businesses or even multi-use developments. Some abandoned buildings have been turned into beautiful homes, and I eventually would like to see this with other buildings. Hopefully, in the near future, abandoned stores and restaurants can also be renovated. 

While an easier solution to the problem would be demolition, building completely new buildings is a waste when these buildings are rotting away. Abandoned buildings can be found all over the country, even in our small town of Inman. An example of this is the abandoned Food Lion on Asheville Highway. Using these buildings in other ways can benefit the community tremendously. 

These buildings could even be turned into community centers. There is just no reason for several buildings to waste away when new buildings are being built every single day. There are several benefits to repurposing these buildings; doing this could even bring the community together due to local history. 

Refurbishing these buildings would benefit our environment, and will overall be much more sustainable. The reuse of these buildings would create more affordable housing, and would even address homelessness in America. This would create opportunities that we have never seen before.