HPD to take on role of apartment inspectors?

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Fresh from punishing property owners who are victims of graffiti, City Council will now consider punishing apartment owners whose properties suffer from crime, reports KTRH-740’s Brent Fuller:

The ordinance to be considered by City Council Wednesday has no specific requirement that apartment projects with high crime rates hire more security. The city has also eliminated a system it had first considered that would have ranked complexes by “tiers,” or levels 1-4, with 1 being the safest, and 4 being the most dangerous.

Instead of these requirements, the city defines crime as a public health issue, allowing it to fine complexes with persistent violations up to $2,000 a day. It also sets forth how Houston police will inspect apartments, and what actions they can take to correct recurring crime problems.

A complex designated as “eligible for remedial action” by the city is subject to HPD inspection. Depending on what officers find, owners can be forced to take certain actions which will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Owners will also be charged a $400 inspection fee.

One suspects the crime at the more problematic complexes is directly related to the Katrina influx that the City of Houston welcomed once upon a time.

At least the early Rube-Goldberg-like ratings system has been eliminated from the proposal.

UPDATE (11-08-2006): The Chronicle posts more of the onerous details of the proposal, which has been championed by a self-identified conservative on council, Toni Lawrence.


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