Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Task force discusses landlord engagement, rental-inspection programs and possible voucher cuts
Summary
Housing committee members said HUD-contracted Abt Associates will meet with local housing authorities; participants also described borough rental-inspection programs, landlord outreach and concerns about potential cuts or policy changes to the Housing Choice Voucher program.
Rob, a housing committee member, told the Carbon County Housing Task Force that Abt Associates — a Washington, D.C.-based research contractor working with HUD — is canvassing housing authorities and is scheduled to talk with local staff next month to gather information about the Housing Choice Voucher program and landlord coordination.
"They have been canvassing all the different housing authorities, and we're up for a conversation with them next month," Rob said. He described rising rents and flat incomes, and raised questions about strategies beyond increasing dollars, including landlord engagement and program design changes. Rob said the task force has begun to receive notices about reduced housing-authority funding that could lead to smaller voucher allocations.
Several participants described borough-level rental-inspection programs and landlord-engagement efforts. A borough manager (self-identified) explained a relatively new rental-inspection program launched about 16 months earlier that requires periodic inspections: an inspection is triggered by a new rental permit or a change in tenancy and a reinspection occurs at 24-month intervals. The borough manager said the program focuses on basic safety items — handrails, smoke detectors, safe egress and sidewalk hazards — and requires the landlord or an authorized representative to be present for inspections.
"We're not...here to pick out any paint color or make your house look new. It's to make sure that if there's an emergency, you can get out," the borough manager said describing the program’s scope.
Participants discussed cost and staffing for inspection programs and suggested municipalities that have successful programs could share processes and offer seed funding to help other boroughs stand up similar work. Rob said he will invite landlords and property managers to housing-committee meetings to solicit participation; the task force noted that many smaller landlords who do accept assistance are fully leased and may not have available units.
A landlord who identified himself as working in Wayne County said inspections can be useful and welcomed consistent statewide standards. Task-force members also discussed potential limits or time caps for voucher recipients and emphasized that any federal policy change would require Congressional action.
No formal votes or ordinance proposals were made during the discussion. Participants agreed to continue borough-to-borough outreach and to share inspection-process details with other municipalities and housing authorities.
