A heavily debated topic will be brought back to the Carroll City Council, and it appears it will still draw plenty of attention. The last discussion on a proposed rental code ordinance was before the pandemic hit, on March 9. Work on the nearly two-year-long project was put on hold a few days later with state mandates. City Manager, Mike Pogge-Weaver, says the first reading will now take place at the council meeting on Monday, Oct. 26. Resident, Ryan O’Leary, responded, asking if the ordinance will meet requirements of an updated Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Housing Act impact statement going into effect the same day. He says though a majority of rental properties in the community house minorities and/or individuals at or below poverty level, he does not believe Carroll’s leaders are intentionally working to enact discriminatory policies. However, he says there may be unintended outcomes, including potential litigation. O’Leary voices another concern with the timing. “Is this really the time to start looking at passing new ordinances, codes etc. that will no doubt increase the rent on the citizens of Carroll when the current economic, job outlook and such is at a low point due to COVID-19,” O’Leary asks. He suggests community outreach efforts, such as fire safety education or distribution of smoke detectors and a gathering of demographics to ensure compliance with HUD codes that do not “inadvertently target” minorities and low-income households. After a review by Carroll’s attorney, Pogge-Weaver says they will proceed with the first reading. They do not see “how the proposed rental housing code could be interpreted as creating an artificial, arbitrary and unnecessary barrier to fair housing.” In addition, he adds the original HUD notice in August of 2019 noted, “if government is prevented from ensuring compliance with health and safety codes, the purpose of the Fair Housing Act would be undermined.” A link to the ordinance can be found below.
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Proposed rental housing code: https://www.cityofcarroll.com/rental-housing-code
