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Local provider raises alarm about substandard rental housing and lack of inspections in Perry County
Summary
A long‑time in‑home provider described widespread substandard rental housing in Perry County — overcrowding, missing heat, inadequate sewage — and said county inspection and enforcement resources are limited compared with neighboring counties.
Suzanne Dell, owner and director of Tandem Serve LLC, told the Perry County housing work group she has done in‑home treatment work in the county for 40 years and cited repeated encounters with unsafe rental units.
"I do I've been doing in home treatment work in Perry County for 40 years," Dell said, and described properties with no heat, no oven and inadequate sewage systems. "I have a house right now that has 2 bedrooms. It has, 11 people in it," she added.
Why it matters: Dell framed these conditions as part of a parallel — and mostly unregulated — rental market serving low‑income residents, including multi‑family households living in basements, garages or campgrounds. Participants said neighboring Cumberland County enforces housing standards more actively and that many county‑level resources and landlord assistance programs do not reach Perry County.
Meeting details
Dell urged stronger inspection and enforcement capacity, and recommended that county leaders pursue programs that provide targeted assistance to landlords (e.g., HVAC or roof replacement grants) to improve habitability. Attendees discussed the limited reach of some regional landlord assistance programs and the need to identify funding streams that explicitly cover Perry County.
What was not decided
The meeting recorded no formal policy action or vote to expand inspections or to enroll Perry County in additional landlord assistance programming. Several participants agreed to circulate program leads and to continue discussing options at future meetings.
Ending
The group will attempt to channel program leads through Tri County contacts and reconvene to discuss concrete steps to improve inspection reach and landlord incentives.
