Faro's abandoned homes have all been sold

The Town of Faro in Yukon has no more empty and abandoned homes for sale.

The town acquired dozens ofabandoned properties about three years ago, many of them apartment complexes with multiple housing units. They hadbeen sitting vacantsincethe closure of Faro's massive lead-zinc mine, 20 years earlier.

Now the town has sold 45 properties. Ten others weren't sold, as the towndeemed them to be beyond repair.

"I would say without hesitation that the town of Faro is one of the most beautiful rural communities in the Yukon," said John Thomas, chief administrative officerfor the town.

Thomas said people are moving to Faro andembracing the local lifestyle, with its picturesque views of thePelly River valley.

The vacantproperties were once considered an eyesore in town. But now Thomassaid people that have bought homes have renovated them.

"A lot of the abandoned properties, from an exterior perspective, had overgrown vegetation in front of them or around them. And as a result of this program we have seen atremendous improvement in the maintenance of the upkeeping of the exterior," he said.

"So a lot of those buildings have new siding, new roofs put on, and that was built in as part of the project the program for the sale of the abandoned housing."

When the properties first hit the market in 2017, the townhad stipulations for the low selling prices. There was a requirement that the properties needed to be renovated or demolished within three years of purchase, and for those who didn't renovate, homeowners would get money-back incentives.

Homes were priced for what was owed to the town in property taxes. The price tag at the time was anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000 perlot.

Faro's population has grown since then. As of June, the population was at 419 people. The Yukon Bureau of Statistics states 35 per centof the residents are over 60 years old.

Thomas said Faro has a lot of seniors programs, and people are well-served.