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Lewisville staff cites enforcement and incentives as dual approach to fix aging apartments
Summary
City staff told council a two‑track strategy — stronger multifamily inspection/enforcement and targeted incentives for redevelopment — has yielded 139 complaints, 43 enforcement actions and $1.2 million in sprinkler repairs while staff continues outreach to developers for rehab projects.
City staff on Monday reviewed progress on the 2025 vision’s housing priorities, saying the city is pursuing a two‑pronged approach to maintaining older apartment complexes: code enforcement through a revised multifamily inspection program and incentive funding to encourage redevelopment while preserving affordability.
Claire (city staff) told council that the 2025 plan identified the need for a maintenance and rehabilitation strategy for existing multifamily properties and that staff is pursuing both enforcement and incentive paths. She said the council previously approved housing tax credits to support redevelopment at the Waters at Stone Creek and that the city is partnering with the county housing authority on that project.
Chris McInn, representing the multifamily inspection team, said the program received 139 apartment‑related complaints last year that led to 43 enforcement actions. “We received last year 139 apartment related complaints and that resulted in 43 enforcement actions,” he said. He added staff added seven apartment complexes to the city’s inspection list (up from 105 locations) covering roughly 28,000 apartment units.
McInn credited cross‑department work — particularly bringing fire inspections into the multifamily program — with uncovering safety issues that had not been identified previously. He said one coordinated inspection uncovered a fire‑sprinkler violation that required roughly $1.2 million in system upgrades. “This is life and safety of the residents there,” he said, describing legal and code enforcement actions that secured compliance.
Councilmembers asked whether the city could pursue higher fines for landlords who knowingly ignored long‑standing problems. Staff responded that the city can pursue maximum fines for flagrant violations but that the legal team must be engaged to take those cases forward.
On the incentives side, Claire said the city has added funding to a notice of availability intended to stimulate rehabilitation projects, but staff has not yet identified the right developer partner. Economic development staff are actively reaching out to find projects that match the funding and policy goals to preserve affordable housing while improving quality of life.
Staff framed the work as ongoing: they expect continued enforcement refinement, further developer outreach, and additional policy work to finalize an economic development strategy for multifamily rehabilitation in the coming year. The council did not take formal action during the briefing.
