Hamilton’s tax on vacant units will survive another year, city politicians have decided after a squeaker vote on the hotly contested new policy tool.

The 8-7 decision means residential property owners will once again have to fill out forms about the occupancy status of their homes for a second year.

Councillors who supported keeping the tax alive argued it’s one of a limited number of levers the city can pull to help ease Hamilton’s housing affordability crunch .

The fledgling program is meant to encourage those who face being dinged by the tax to fill empty homes with residents or put their properties up for sale.

Net proceeds from the tax, which staff have predicted to be just under $13 million by year’s end, is to be parked in a reserve for affordable housing initiatives.

“It

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