Last week, I told you Allentown is targeting low-income downtown residents with "systematic" home inspections, sharing the story of one resident who will lose a day's pay so she can be present when city workers invade her home and privacy later this month.Allentown is the only LV municipality willing to subject its residents, and only downtown, to this indignity. Larry Heckman shares his experience.
"I received the inspection letter. The inspections are being done under the disguise of the Weed and Seed program area. The inspections are not voluntary. They will be enforced through court if necessary. The program is intended to correct code violations. I could find code violations in a brand new home. If they made this program voluntary i would back it 100 %. They have funds available for various loan programs. The request for income statements etc. is only necessary if you are asking for the loan money. They are NOT required for the inspection. If they find violations they will give you up to one year to correct them. Now for the clincher is they will give you a list of contractors who will give you estimates. I would bet they all have contributed to campaign accounts but I have not seen the full list yet to investigate it. There are two programs being offered. Up to $5,000 for facade improvements which includes anything needed on the front of the property. A second program is up to $15,000 for correcting code violations and improvements to the interior. The loans would be forgiven over a 5 year period if the home owner stays there. It is reduced by 20% every year of occupation by the homeowner. They did a similar inspection on my property in the early 1990's. They get you for everything. A crack in a window or wall or foundation is a violation. You must have a light at the top of the steps controlled from the first and second floor. Ground fault outlets in all kitchens and bathrooms.If you have a tear in the vinyl flooring or missing tile it is a violation. There are many houses with half baths that just have a toilet on the first floor. Code requires a sink with hot and cold water in the same room. Many more things they can cite you on. Make the program VOLUNTARY."
After making a Right to Know request, city officials were kind enough to supply a seven-page list of approved contractors. I'll share that with you tomorrow, along with what I've learned in the last week.
mr. heckman's reward for staying put and helping to stabilize his neighborhood has been to be submitted to two inspections. if he would decide to list his house for sale, he could have three, and if he can't sell and must rent, then it would be inspected four times. i'm often asked why section 8 rentals, which are inspected EVERY YEAR, using the same uniform code employed by the city, often look "shabby" anyway. it's simple, YOU CANNOT LEGISLATE PRIDE OF OWNERSHIP. years ago, before facade grants, often systematic inspections, as the last item, would list "renew peeling paint". that was the true intention of the city, to dress up the block, but they didn't hesitate to inspect from inside out to achieve that end. as inspection programs grow, so do inequities. Allentown is blessed with masonry (brick) well constructed (germans, 1910) rowhouses. in essence, the downtown homeowner is being inspected as a dog and pony political show
ReplyDeleteBernie,
ReplyDeleteMaybe Mr. Molovinsky would ask city hall what's happening to
that landlord hall of shame 9th st. property highlighted in fall press conference. If those owners have ignored citations and their properties continue to be "in shame" why doesn't Weed & Seed focus on them instead of harrassing this hard-working mom and center city homeowner. Keep up the good work with this story!
First floor toilets. Do folks realize just how costly and difficult it is to put a sink in some of these tiny first floor toilet rooms?
ReplyDeleteMaybe this homeowner should demand to inspect Weed & Seed administrators' homes to see if same regulations apply across board.
ReplyDeleteBernie -
ReplyDeleteRegarding the contractors on the list provided by the city also being Pawlowski campaign donors, I might speculate on one more.
Is there a bank which the loans are going through? Is that bank/banker also a contributor?
Anon 1025am, good question. I can tell you from experience that the value in a city relationship is typically in the deposits, not loans. Loans like these are a pain because they're small, involve a lot of paperwork (meaning man-hours of labor) and the total volume isn't large enough to be a real profit generator.
ReplyDeleteIf there were any games going on, it would be on the deposit side - or on the bond issue side.
The Banker
I've stayed in hotel rooms that wouldn't pass inspection in Allentown.
ReplyDeletePawlowski needs to wake-up!
Anon from 7:31:
ReplyDeleteThose properties are not located in the Weed and Seed area. Old Allentown isn't in that district. There are boundaries for where the weed and seed program can and cannot function.
This post is infuriating. Weed and seed is a ridiculous, typical government program where good intentions invariably collided with unintended consequences - and power-hungry municipal types.
ReplyDeleteOwner-occupiers should greet jackboot inspectors with a trusty registered weapon.
Stay the f--- out of my house.
BTW, Bernie. Great quote from John Barlow. I became aware of him during my hazy Grateful Dead days, and later came to enjoy his writings on a variety of issues - global weaponry, technology, society. Barlow is a fascinating guy.
ReplyDeleteAs a Allentown homeowner, whose home is located in the area between downtown and westend, i am a little scared that my home will get inspected. My house is over 100 years old and would never pass these crazy inspections. My husband and i have spent the past few years systematically updating the house, but it still would not pass. Do they grandfather old homes or do they treat a home from 1890 the same as a home from 1990?
ReplyDeleteAnon 8:11, I think they will confine themselves to the downtown area. If they decide to inspect you,your violations will NOT be grandfathered.
ReplyDeleteBernie, just to be clear, they aren't inspecting the whole downtown. The boundaries they are inspecting are a large section of the downtown, but not the whole area. As an example, my neighborhood is clearly downtown but hasn't been included in this process.
ReplyDeleteThe systematic inspection, Geoff, appears to be limited to the weed and seed area of downtown Allentown. I am very toubled by an inspection that targets wone area while ignoring others. And who is to say that will not change in the next year?
ReplyDeleteThis guy sounds like a crybaby. Is he related to the other loser in Northampton County.
ReplyDeleteThis is what a Pawlowski hack does. Instead of addressing the criticism, he attacks the person.
ReplyDeleteHey anonn 11:38 up yours. I know who you are refering to and you can't carry his wash.
ReplyDeleteHey Bernie you should delete that arse.
I should, but I'll leave it up bc it shows how Pawlowski supporters react to constructive criticism.
ReplyDelete