Of all city agencies, the late Mayor Albert T. McWilliams said he got the most complaints about Inspections. So in 2005 he hired more inspectors and aimed for greater enforcement. But as revealed in this report by Plaintalker co-founder Barbara Todd Kerr, the effort hit some people the wrong way.
It seems for everyone who wants to city to do more regarding property maintenance, there's someone else who finds enforcement onerous.
Overcrowding also became a point of contention in 2005, but got some backlash as well.
In 2006, illegal construction was targeted. But the functioning of the division itself was also deemed a concern. A plan to increase fees to cover costs of various inspections met with stiff opposition from Realtors and property owners.
A review of 2006 included this: In what some consider a step backwards for code enforcement, an ordinance to keep housing safe and not overcrowded was repealed. Real estate interests also fought increased inspections fees that city officials said were necessary to make operations self-supporting.
In early 2007, Plaintalker advocated for safe housing following a fire that displaced 40 tenants. As the year ended, another post covered the difference between a certificate of compliance and a certificate of occupancy.
As the Spanish-speaking population increased, it became evident that the city lacked adequate bilingual staff for interacting with those residents.
In March 2010, I added a personal note about the travails of being a tenant with an absentee landlord, who later sold the building. .
Later in 2010, inspections were fast-tracked to accommodate "short sales" and other concerns of real estate agents.
The clash between those who wanted less regulation and those who felt it was important continued.
And here is one last post on the frequent dichotomy between landlords and tenants, all the more relevant as development now is all about rental units. What new chapter will be written in 2016?
--Bernice
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Having lived in a Connolly operated building which was quickly becoming a slum, I can attest to the need for strict controls no matter what the Realtors or owners say. Even now I know of apartment buildings where tenants are allowed to subdivide their apartment so they can charge rent or have more people than allowed by law to live there. Make the fines substantial and perhaps tenants and landlords will think twice. I looked at apartments several years ago, a friend was looking, labeled as two bedroom where a large room was divided by the owner to make it a two bedroom. There was no permit and often six or more people lived there. We saw a room that was in a house basement, clearly illegal and not permitted by city ordinance. I know of efficiency apartments with three adults and three or four children living in what is basically a large room with a kitchenette. This needs to stop! I know it is hard to make ends meet, I have that problem, but we need to uphold the law before a tragedy hits and we are forced to take action.
ReplyDeleteBob Bolmer
Unfortunately, things like this will only change for the better after there is a tragedy, death and a lawsuit.
ReplyDeleteSadly true. We can only hope for improvement.
DeleteI find that people want OTHERs to adhere to inspections, but not necessarily themselves.
ReplyDeleteWe all need to keep the landscape debris out of the street, shovel our sidewalks 24 hours after snow stops, and keep our grass cut. How many of us do this?