Resolution 6191 - Laserfiche WebLink

RESOLUTION NO. 6191 A RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE EVERETT HOUSING IMPROVEMENT PLAN WHEREAS, housing meeting the minimum standards of safety, habitability and property maintenance established by City ordinance and other applicable law is essential to a healthy community and a vital economy; and WHEREAS, safe, secure, well-maintained rental housing providing a range of housing alternatives throughout the City is a valuable community asset; and WHEREAS, it is in the public interest that residential rental properties within the City be actively operated and maintained by the owner, in cooperation with the tenant, in compliance with the minimum standards set forth in the City's housing, fire, and property maintenance codes and the minimum standards of safety and habitability established by other applicable law, such as the State Landlord-Tenant Act; and WHEREAS, most rental housing in the City is maintained in good condition and in substantial compliance with applicable codes; and WHEREAS, a small portion of the City's residential housing stock is substantially below the minimum standards established by the EMC and expected by the community; and WHEREAS, in connection with its ongoing efforts to improve substandard housing, the City has reviewed the programs and strategies of other jurisdictions in this state and throughout the country, studies comparing the effectiveness, costs, advantages and disadvantages of alternative approaches to improving substandard housing, and applicable legal authority established by City ordinance and state law, and has conducted public outreach to solicit input from stakeholders including rental housing owners and rental housing industry groups, tenants and tenant advocacy groups, and has conducted an interdepartmental review of the City's existing code enforcement system and opportunities for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of that system; and WHEREAS, many stakeholders believe that substandard housing is best addressed by enforcing existing codes with standard code enforcement tools, helping renters better use existing remedies and procedures provided by laws such as the Landlord- Tenant Act, encouraging informal dispute resolution before resorting to a formal enforcement action, relying on existing legal authority to the extent possible, and reserving regular inspections for only those properties that warrant focused, regular attention by virtue of their compliance history; and 1