MG:
While I understand the need to be fiscally responsible from a budgetary
standpoint on issues such as rental property licensing/inspections, I also,
on the other hand, understand how easy it is to build a case for doing so
with quantifiable statistics, such as what you've done.
However, the impact of (the City) not requiring a provisional rental
licensed property to undergo an inspection within a finite period of time
has both large financial and quality of life implications on many of the
Citys' poorest neighborhoods.
In the early to mid-90's, during the time when white-flight occurred in
North Minneapolis, property values tumbled. Suburban investors with a few
dollars in their pockets and a desire to improve both their net worth and
cashflow came into neighborhoods such as Jordan and bought-up single family
residents as investments.
A good case study for this type of activity would be 3007 Irving Av N. The
property was sold by Hud in 1997 for I believe, $37,000. From 1997 through
2003, the investor NEVER had a City inspector on the premises, rented it out
the entire time at a profit, and was able to leverage it for an additional
$63,000 in liquidity, which was used to purchase additional investments on
the northside. Further investigation would reveal that for a majority of
that period, it was rented w/o having a rental license. It was recently
sold (again to an outside, multi-unit investor) and now at least has a
provisional license. This outide investor bought and sold roughly two
dozen properties in my neighborhood over this 10-year period. The majority
of which were not operated legally, or in compliance with city ordinances.
He is one of many still operating on the northside.
But wait a minute you say. If it (3007 Irving) was recently sold, a truth
in housing inspection was performed, requiring the new owner to at least
correct the defects prior to renting it out, yet again. I haven't checked,
but I would be willing to bet (giving you very attractive odds) that is not
the case. I an aware of instances where properties were bought with truth
in housing inspections performed that required permits to be pulled, and
subsequently resold (a chargeable offense I believe), without ever having
the required work done. There's no procedure in place to catch these
infractions.
As a city, we do a disservice to our taxpaying residents by not revamping
the inspections dept, and closing more of these loopholes. I don't fault
the actual inspectors, they're doing the best they can with what they have.
I do however, question the wisdom (of the City) for continuing to pump
monies such as NRP dollars into neighborhoods the benefits of which, are
being realized dissproportinately by outside investors.
There are large social implicactions that affect this activity and allow it
continue. I, as a white, middle-class, taxpaying male, even though I live
in Jordan, only remotely understand. I will however(not very well I'm
sure), try to explain them.
While sitting w/ Don Samuels last nite, the final nite of his vigil, we were
visited (for the second time this week) by a middle-aged African american
male that came to chat. He had many things to say regarding our
neighborhood. Most of which, Don had to interpret and explain to me
afterthe resident left.
While he visited, I asked this man if he intended to participate in our
citizen patrols. His answer - in his forty-some-odd years, he had seen
many such actions come down the pike. Concern by those that really don't
have a clue as to what the lives of the majority of the residents in Jordan
- lower-income African Americans, is like. While he seemed interested in
what we were doing, he communicated to us that he was going to wait a little
longer to see how things unfolded, before he became involved.
Having lived a life that's been relatively free of social discrimmination, I
was, understandably, full of contempt for the visitors' lack of desire to
become involved. It was only AFTER hearing that he had served his country
during the Vietnam Conflict, been involved with the social uprising in the
south in the late 60's and was still faced with large social injustice
issues, that I began to understand his position.
How does this relate to the inspections issue? The majority of our renters
in Jordan are in fact, African Americans. Our society has set-up a rental
inspections system that relies heavily on citizen participation. In the
more affluent neighborhoods, where the residents are used to seeing results
(socially) to their involvement, things work well. In the more impoverished
neighborhoods, such as Jordan, where the majority of the residents STILL
feel disenfranchised, it does NOT.
Continuing on, I have nothing but the utmost respect for Don Samuels and the
position he's taken on the issue of livabilty in our neighborhood. I also
have the utmost fear for him. He's done the
