06/19/03 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

SUMMARY Local governments should encourage voluntary compliance with housing-related codes. led to establishing a common vision for the city's housing. Implementing Regulatory Strategies Among housing strategies that communities may choose are regulatory strategies, such as adopting local codes that set standards for property maintenance. Depending on communities' own capacity, implementing such strategies may require outside expertise. One best practice for administering housing-related codes is to encourage voluntary compliance. When'residents comply with the codes.on their own, fe'/,er public resources are needed for enfomement. Ways to achieve voluntary compliance include pubficizing code requirements, using incentives to reward initial compliance, and offering technical or financial assistance to violators. Example: Pr/or to its annual inspections of rental units, Mounds View mails to rental-property owners a list of common code violations as part of the notice that their properties are due for inspection. The list allows owners to fix problems, such as missing smoke detectors or improper clearance to electrical equipment, in advance of inspections, reducing the number of deficiencies and staff time for reinspections. : Jurisdictions should ensure consistent enforcement when administering housing~related codes. Consistency helps avoid charges of discrimination or arbitrariness. Example: When Cottage Grove implemented a program to inspect rental units, the building official developed an inspection checklist containing 64 items including foundation drainage and venting of plumbing fixtures. Using the checklist ensures that the city holds each building to the same inspection standards. Administering housing codes also requires enforcement mechanisms with increasingly severe sanctions against noncompliance. A final best practice is to target the housing codes to particular houses or neighborhoods if resources do not allow inspecting all of them. Example: In Bemid]i, the dty follows a series of steps when owners do not comply with orders to correct deficiencies identified during inspections of rental housing. The ciiy charges a rental registration fee that covers the first and second inspections, but building owners must pay for each reinspection necessitated by their failure to correct problems. Additional enforcement steps include letters from the city attorney, police citations, and registration revocations. The most serious sanction is property condemnations. Jurisdictions that administer the State Building Code should follow certain best practices to support housing preservation. Practices such as publicizing code requirements, offering technical assistance, and making the permit process convenient, encourage voluntary compliance. Other best practices are considering compliance alternatives and applying the code consistently. Example: Each January, the Melrose building official holds a contractor seminar to discuss building code requirements. Because the seminar is accredited by'the state, contractors receive professional education credits for attending. The well-attended seminars allow sharing of information among contractors from multiple cities, and minimize the times that the. building official has to answer the same questions. Implementing Supportive Strategies Supportive housing strategies encourage people to preserve their buildings. Providing access to financial assistance is' one supportive strategy.. For implementation, cities should explore partnerships to attain the' expertise and resources needed to deal with complex, multiple financing sources. Example: The Stevens County HRA applies for and administers housing grants and loans on behalf of cities within the