Approving progress report under the Workable Program for Community Improvement

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Re think that the question of how to treat the landlord in a renter-occupied dwelling differs from the above. Nevertheless, perhaps again certain rewards should be offered if the landlord improves the property and does not raise the rent. A considerable disagreement emerged about how the landlord should be treated. Some of us feel that the landlord does not fully accept the responsibility for living up to the housing code when he invests in property for rental purposes. Like most people in business, he is much more eager to gain profit than he is to accept any serious responsibility. The question arose as to the landlord's responsibility to the community not to allow property to decay. It seems to some of us that the landlord in fact has a responsibility to the community and that his freedom to exploit a tenant or to allow the property to decay on the grounds be sufficient if he did not his margin would not , infringes upon the that s rofit ar p g right of the community to a certain level of maintenance of property. Are the property rights of renter-occupied properties essentially different from property rights to stocks and bonds? After all, the government now controls the sale and purchase of stocks and bonds through the Securities and Exchange Commission. Should we be thinking along the same lines of control for housing property in the city? This brought us to the suggestion that perhaps a housing code could be written so that a piece of property cannot be rented or sold without the buyer or renter knowing whether the house is in violation of the housing code. This would be one way to protect the buyer or renter. We would propose that when housing becomes vacant, that is, for rent or for sale, it has to be registered with the housing authority of the city with perhaps the housing code office or whatever the proper office is. The housing inspector would go in and check the property. If it does not meet the standards, then it cannot be rented or sold. The code authority may or may not levy a minimum charge for registration fee in such activity which fee may help to defray costs of operation. All of the utility companies have their controls on the use of utilities on properties when they are rented or sold. Should not the city's code authority have similar kinds of control? Perhaps funds to support this kind of program are available through HUD. What about training more personnel to become inspectors? Would it be difficult to train people to become good inspectors? As far as the mass public is concerned, it seems to us that the real estate organizations within the community may pose more of a problem to code modification than the citizens themselves. As is clear from our survey, most citizens do not have crystallized attitudes toward the housing code. They do want decent homes in decent neighborhoods. They are no more or no less concerned about code enforcement than the rest of us. I think they can be sold on the idea with a well coordinated program at the local neighborhood level when ever the city proposes to try to raise the housing standards in a neighborhood. In addition above, we es discussed toeenc possibilities of to improve their subsidies their or very low g properties. In summary, the committee recommends that any such code enforcement must be sold to each neighborhood that possible rewards by way of tax break for those who -4-