If you live in Allentown's designated Weed & Seed Community, expect a "systematic" home inspection. Where is this community? It's a a "48 square block area which stretches North to South from Tilghman Street to Hamilton Street and East to West from the Lehigh River to 8th Street. It makes up a large portion of what is known as the 1st Ward and the 4C's community."With the goal of achieving a "totally rehabilitated neighborhood," Allentown intends to inspect every owner-occupied home in those 48 square blocks. So far, 516 owner-occupied homes have been inspected so far in the 1st and 8th wards.
I spoke with someone in Allentown's vast home inspection bureaucracy on Tuesday. I won't use his name because it might get him in trouble and, to be honest, I forgot to ask him.
He did his best to justify this supposedly systematic home inspection, which is really targeted at a certain area of the city. He told me that the financial officers who accompany housing inspectors are city employees, not some loan officer looking for a commission. That's a relief. But when a financial officer is accompanying the inspector, isn't that a pretty good indication that the inspector intends to find problems?
He told me Bethlehem and Easton do this, too. But when I mentioned that housing inspectors there denied conducting systematic inspections, he acknowledged those cities only inspect when homes are sold.
This apparatchik also told me his inspectors have helped many people and may have even prevented some disasters, and I believe him. But even he had to acknowledge that if the city tried to do this anywhere else, it would be on the wrong side of a lawsuit faster than Mayor Pawlowski can run away without leaving a tip. It's unfair to force homeowners to undergo an indignity that the city is afraid to try anywhere else. It's also an invasion of privacy.
On top of all that, isn't there some potential for mischief? Won't a city inspector who moonlights for an electrical or roofing contractor be tempted to find a problem? Why is someone who uses city approved contractors given more favorable treatment than a homeowner who hires his own people? I have a list of the city-approved contractors, and you can peruse them yourself to see if you can find anything unusual. I'm told that if a homeowner elects to borrow money or apply for a grant through the city, it will seek "open bids" from those approved contractors.
I think systematic home inspections should be voluntary, but a different mindset prevails among many bureaucrats and housing non-profits. The Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania, for example, recently lobbied for and got draconian changes in housing law to have a conservator appointed and actually take over a home when an owner fails to keep it up to code. Now they condescendingly talk about "training" judges on enforcement.
Did I mention that Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski is President of the Board for the Housing Alliance of Pa?
14 comments:
I have specific and detailed knowledge of a recent Allentown home inspection conducted at the time of the home's sale. The neighborhood is Midway Manor (btw, simply one of Allentown's neighborhood gems - don't tell anybody). The inspection was a brief conversation and cup of coffee. More of a social visit. No violations. Just depends on your neighborhood. Weed and seed is another program that sounds great, but ultimately leads to arbitrary abuses of freedom. And people continue to cede their rights to the likes of the Pawlowski administration. I guess they're viewed as good guardians of civil rights. We really DO get the government we deserve.
Bernie,
I am certain the inspector WOULD get in trouble for speaking with you. Do not reveal his name.
Actually, Weed & Seed (a nation-wide program) was introduced to Allentown nearly two decades ago by a prominent political figure. City Meeting Minutes, if one wants to, will show who.
"For example, take a look at the 100 block of Chew Street or the 100 block of N. 3rd Street and you will see examples where the City has fixed up the facades of one or two houses and their neighbors have followed up by doing the same." Maybe an Allentonian could drive past these blocks and report back to us.
Keeping it straight and honest I can see where it can be a good program. Therein lies the issue of 'trust'.
EXAMPLE: When we had sold our home some years ago one of the potential realtors I had interviewed stated that if the home were to be sold under a VA... the VA required a new roof every so many years. AND.. it just so happened her husband was a roofer!
Hopefully these inspections are more on the up-and-up then a U.S. Treasury Secretary with a fist full of blank bailout checks? When money's involved 'trust' is earned not freely given. With a little more time and experience we shall see.
"...trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty."
~John Adams ~
PS: Click on my name to be taken to Allentown's Weed & Seed site.
It looks like the city is genuinely working to help the community . . . with a bit of aggression.
Sometimes that is what is needed to get things done.
"Sometimes that is what is needed to get things done."
As long as it's not your home, right? No, I have problems with these systematic inspections, targeted at the working poor. There are many homes in other areas of the city that would fail inspection, but the city would not dare try there . . . at least not yet.
In A-town's history, it has never extended its home invasions beyond the downtown. So we have, as Joanne noted, one set of laws for the poor and another for everyone else. No matter how noble the intention, that is wrong.
My father many years ago used a city program to do "upgrades". The work done was kitchen cabinets and upgrade electric. He wanted to use my uncle who is a great electrician and wanted to get the cabinets from Home Depot. The city said no, they had contractors. In the end they spent double the amount on the cabinets and only the electrical box was changed nothing else. The total bill was $20,000 that my father has to pay when and if he ever sells.
This is a money scheme to line the pockets of city friends. Bidding should be open to the entire market not just some insiders.
"It looks like the city is genuinely working to help the community . . . with a bit of aggression.
Sometimes that is what is needed to get things done."
Bullshit. It's a heavy-handed, arbitrary violation of civil liberties, intended to fatten connected contractors, disguised as a good-for-the-community initiative.
I want this poster's and Pawlowski's homes inspected immediately. I'll bet they have more violations than (fill in your own blank).
Anon 2:42,
It's a government home invasion and should be resisted. I admire the passion. There is hope for us.
It is difficult for me to take seriously an Article in which the header has a misspelling.
What other details are you omitting from your story on AllE-TOWN?
Wow! A story is wrong bc of a spelling error.
Love the picture.
This totally stinks, bigtime. What's the point of these random inspections, really?
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