Chester officials push rental-registry inspections and court action after Benjamin Banneker scores 8 on HUD review

Receiver Vijay Kapoor told the Municipal Financial Recovery Advisory Committee on Aug. 26 that the City of Chester is expanding its rental-registry inspections and pursuing court action to address severe health and safety conditions at the Benjamin Banneker apartments.

Kapoor said the six-story, privately owned complex, which houses about 70 subsidized units and roughly 180 people, scored "an 8 out of a 100" on a HUD INSPIRE inspection earlier this year (the minimum passing score is 60). He said city inspections found raw sewage in the basement, two out-of-service elevators, widespread black mold, mice and roaches, intermittent heat or hot water in some units, a nonfunctional sprinkler system and expired fire extinguishers.

"We filed an emergency legal action'an emergency petition that was seeking a court order requiring the building owner to make these life-safety improvements and to pay to temporarily relocate residents while the problems with the Banneker are fixed," Kapoor said, describing an Aug. 14 filing authorized by the mayor and brought by the city solicitor with outside counsel. The city said it has since exchanged a proposed settlement with the owner and is negotiating terms; more information for residents is forthcoming.

The emergency filing followed months of back-and-forth inspections and repeated instances in which the city was told repairs had been completed but inspectors found otherwise. Kapoor credited an unusually broad, multi-agency response that included local officials, the Commonwealth, DCED, HUD and White House representatives for elevating the issue and helping press the owner to act.

The MRAC presentation also focused on the rental-registry program that Chester's City Council adopted in 2023 (Ordinance 17-14). Kapoor described the program's purpose as protecting public health and safety, establishing owner and occupant obligations, creating a systematic inspection regime and imposing penalties when properties fail to meet code.

Under the fee and inspection structure described at the meeting, owners complete a registration application at City Hall and pay a registration fee (presented in the meeting as $200 for the initial units and $50 per additional unit). The initial inspection and one reinspection are included in that fee; a second reinspection costs $75 per unit and a third or subsequent reinspection costs $150. Once a unit passes inspection the city issues a $15 rental license, and subsequent inspections occur every three years. Meeting participants also noted an inconsistent aside during the presentation that referenced "$2,200," which appears to be a misstatement in the live remarks and is not consistent with the fee schedule presented elsewhere in the discussion.

Kapoor emphasized the city does not treat the fees as a revenue source but as a way to fund inspectors, IT and program operations. "We don't make profits on these fees," he said. Officials repeatedly framed inspections as public-safety work, not mere nuisance-enforcement: "These aren't just cosmetic issues," Kapoor said, noting risks to tenants, neighbors and first responders.

Nona Watson, the city's director of community and economic development, described departmental priorities tied to the registry: rebuilding L&I (licenses and inspections) capacity, stabilizing staff and processes, and addressing vacant and abandoned properties, absentee landlords and blight to encourage redevelopment and business growth.

Frankie Lynn, interim assistant building code official and longtime Chester resident, described common violations inspectors find: missing smoke detectors and fire extinguishers, holes in walls, pest infestations, cracked driveways and tripping hazards, clogged gutters and other exterior defects. "Get your house registered with the City of Chester," Lynn said, urging owners to register so inspectors can verify repairs and avoid disruptive rework.

Mayor Stephon Routes and councilmembers framed the Banneker response as an example of intergovernmental cooperation: "This is government as a force for good, government at its best," the mayor said, urging residents to report hazards and reminding the public that the city will continue enforcement actions and court remedies when owners fail to correct life-safety defects.

Next steps announced at the meeting included continued settlement negotiations with the Banneker owner, further communication to residents about relocation and repairs, and routine Council business (Kapoor reminded viewers of a council meeting the next day where an interim police commissioner will present crime statistics). The city said it will provide updates to residents as the legal process and repairs proceed.

The MRAC presentation combined program detail (inspection cadence, fees and reinspection charges) with operational reporting about an active court matter; officials said the registry rollout is intended both to protect renters and to restore the city's ability to inspect and enforce housing codes citywide.