In Portland, a city council has chosen to set aside a proposed vacancy fee — a measure that would have levied charges on owners of unoccupied residential units — after an internal study raised sufficient doubts about its workability and impact. The decision reflects a recurring tension in housing policy: the gap between the intuitive appeal of a solution and the complex realities of implementation. Portland joins a growing number of cities wrestling with how to coax empty buildings back into use in markets where shelter is scarce, and the council's restraint suggests a preference for tools mor