Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / July 19, 1984, edition 1 / Page 10
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Page A10-The Chronicle, Thursc Winston-Sali NHNIIIIMMNMHMMMMIIIIMMIIIUIIIMMIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIII But that's not to say that much more isn't left to do, Newell says, citing the absentee landlord as the city's biggest housing problem. "The city needs to relocate tenants from absentee landlords who will do anything for a , dollar," she says. "This can be done within two or three years. "The city hasn't taken the lead in this," she continues. "Sometimes we have to ha\e the fear of God in us before we'll do what's right. And somebody has to put it there." Newell recently proposed that the citv establish a commission to increase the city's housing code enforcement efforts. While the problems Hetty Jean. * McFadden has experience*} don't affect only black people, the numbers show that the city's black community is more severely affected by poor housing conditions than whites. In fact, it is the eastern half of the city, where most of Winston-Salem's blacks live, that brings the highest number of housing complaints, Says Darwin Hudler, the city's 'housing inspections supervisor. Of the 158 inspections Hudler's office made between April 1983 and January of this year, almost 90 percent were in the eastern half of the city. And, ^ of the five field inspectors Hudler supervises, all but one are assigned to the eastern portion of the city Though at present some 370 houses have been condemned by jhe city until they are brought into compliance with the city's, housing codes -- and though Hudler believes the city has a strong-enough housing code ? he coi/c t h O nrAklom nf on fnr.'iii/, f au; a inv pi uuiviii v/i v.inui wiiiu Mil code is not as simple as some would like to make it. "The shortage of available housing makes it difficult to enforce the housing code any stricter than we do," he says. "If a family is living in unfit conditions, it's probably all they can afford -- they aren't able to do any better." Like Newell, Northeast Ward Alderman Vivian Burke says the city has taken steps to erase poor housing conditions, but it can do much more, including strengthening its enforcement of housing code violations. In May, the city's Board of Aldermen voted to bring misdemeanor or criminal charges against landlords and tenants as a last resort to get people out of unfit housing. "The city can only put people in standard homes," says Burke. "It's other agencies that put people in substahdard homes." While Burke agrees that tenants sometimes don't take pride in their rented homes, she finds it hard to sympathize with landlords in general. "Those who're doing all the talking and complaining must have something good going on," says Burke. "I don't see them selling their property." And landlords do have their say in the matter. mm*. .? ttrat the environment in which man^T'of the city's residents live is not ideal, they also contend that the bigger problem is the tenants themselves. FOR SNUFF THATS SWEET Kunucv IWIIVIlh 1/ GIVE HONEYBEE ATRY. HONEY Kt SWEET & MUFF AS HON*' Helme Tobacco Company "u ' rfrJfco lay, July 19. 1984 lllll^flllllltllltllltlllllltlllilllltlltlMIIIIIIMIIIIttllMIIIIIII em's housing IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINtlHIIIIIIIIIIIIlllHKKii "Whoever lives there should ' have enough interest to care of the place," says Jerry Gilmore, a funeral director and landlord who owns 23 houses. "Those who rent should have different attitudes. They should take care of the place, no matter what. They need some sort of spirit and encouragement to take care of what they are using. When the expense comes in, it doesn't fall on them." John Dickson, who owned seven houses in the 1300 block of Cameron Avenue before he sold them, says it's not always true that landlords are getting rich off their property. iins for five \T7rrf- fn says, and Uc. n*a*W no money during that time. Meanwhile, Mayor Wayne Corpening believes the city hasn't been given its just due tor trying to alleviate the city's poor housing conditions. "In the last six years," he says, "two thousand units have been built or approved, and that's a lot of units." Corpening says the city needs better inspections and follow-ups in order, to make sure both the tenant and landlord uphold their responsibility. He also says the present conditions are more the >?fault of economic times than individuals. "You've got to go back to the basics," he says. "First, you have to have more jobs for people so they can afford decent houses. ... It's our responsibility as elected officials to go out and look for good jobs." Adds Burke: "We have a V * ppSryfr - '., ?* .<$ '" $S ^B.v ^m' ~*H H #H "' sl <1 B B . S| B iQ '^ftl J| v: SEAMAN OlSTIUERS COMPANY. N Y C 80 PROC IIIHMtllttllimillllllllltlllllllilllllllllltlllllllilllMllltlllllll woes From Page A IIIIMIIMIMIIMIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIMMIIIIIIIIIIIIMIIIIIIIIIIIIMMI responsibility to the people. Once you tell people, 'I want to represent you,' >ou must represent them/' But, unlike the mayor, who lauds the city for its efforts and says Winston-Salem has done more to alleviate poor housing conditions than any other city its si/e. Burke says comparisons shouldn't be made. "Let's look at W inston-Salem itself," she says. "Let us become that shining example of humane progress. We're not doing ^ enough." As for enforcing the housing code, Inspections Supervisor Darwin Hudler says the city is domg the best it caa^under ihc cii. ? - cumManiL.s. "They think we're dealing with 2\4's," he says. "We're dealing with people problems. If you're dealing with an empty house, we can deal with it. "But as long as there are people who can't afford decent housing, there will always be people in the market for unsafe housing. This people problem complicates housing code enforcement." Hudler adds: "We could bring 200 cases to the board, but where would they go? The city can't morally put that many people in the street. "The man (the inspector) out there knows what the situation is and has a feeling for it. The police power is always there, but it takes time to go through the stages." Hudler's office has a set procedure to follow when a tenant brings a complaint to his office which begins with an initial in ' r r"' ?& m v?:>' a ' *>< a TV - . ~/ ?- <^B *' -' a!^^ a 3P'V ^ * ' ^^^<55l3X cn. *r )F CMSnilED DRY GIN WSTIUEC FROM GRAIN llltlllllilltltlllltltllMllllllllllllllllllllllllllillMIIIIIIIMftl 1 llllMllllillllltllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII spcction and courtesy letter and can end with the demolition of the property if the landlord doesn't comply (see the aecompan>ing box). From July l, 1982 to June 30, 1983, 94 housing units were demolished and 1,455 were brought into compliance. From July 1, 1983 to January 1984, 777 housing units were brought into c o m p I i a n c e and 34 we re demolished. More often than not, says Fludler, when the city finds a housing unit that needs repair, and thp nwn^r hrinoc thp r\rr\r\#?r. ? ? v, .. > ?> v? HIV piv/pvitv into compliance, he then in ^rt>;i*es tKe rent to offset Iwrex^ penses. Unfortunately, Hudler says, the city has no control over this practice, which is why many substandard houses go unreported because tenants fear a rent increase. Hudler says he has had tenants break into tears and beg him not to cite a housing code violation because they couldn't afford a rent increase. He takes care, however, not to make the landlord the sole villain. As Alderman Burke pointed out, he says, some tenants are guilty of not taking care of what they rent. "You can look at 100 different files and see 100 different cases," says Hudler. "It could be a bad landlord, a bad tenant, low income or a combination of things." Next week: A close-up look at a landlord and a tenant. BF jrt * *B r ' W^ - JBK > ; ^ F MlfllffllHPfe ^ ~?? Seagram's 1 IjExtraDrg \ I |? | ?Ml *%>>] ty pi* n/m *y imm" *7*""' 'i^arnm* am* *y?w/ mtifmr* *f mm*" ? ^BLr" <? ?.'' 4?.r BO* * I : ? J".; Hy* Z4"^ f .jraputm (? .4*** f ^K; Jw'Vis .. ? m ^ ^riiiiBiTmjwMiiia^ | i ' ? C V iVI W A*. .OAS j* I Board agree pay relocatic By AUDREY L. WILLIAMS s Chronicle Staff Writer y The city's Board.ot 5 Aldermen agreed Mondas c night to approve a policy that a may allow up to $500 in h assistance to residents seeking t to relocate out of substandard c housing. d tut uivjvt, wiutii woj approved 6-1, with Alderman P> Robert S. Northington voting f against the measure, is the e result of the city's housing d code enforcement policy. n r which?frrH- 'crtr "arid flm' "" t I tandlords for receiving. rem t from, tenants after a dwelling c has been declared unfit. The d code w ill also cite tenants whc 1< refuse to move from a dwell- r ing that has been condemned. At least $50,000 of cit> h funds will be used for the a relocation program. Is Daniel R. Beerman, pro- f gram supervisor for in-take n services of the Forsyth Count> n Department of Social Services, said it was a "very positive tl move" for the city and told h the board that in extreme s cases, moving costs foi s residents who want to move h out of substandard housing can go as high as $400. o "There is a consistent neec h to help people relocate," ht p said, "and the need is noi always people in substandarc a housing." n For those not living ir ' ' '''' s to help m costs ubstandard housing issistance can be sought t'ron iocial Services, Crisis Contro >r any other public assistance gency. The nevs move by the >oard, however, includes onl\ hose who have been advisee >r wish to move from substanlard housing. Alderman V i r g i n i a K Jewell asked for specific igures, but no one from the ity staff could give het , lefinite numbers on how nany people could be helpec iv ttie relocation funds." (Tan howi*, director-of the city's ommunity development iepartment, estimated that at ?ast 90 people could be in leed of the assistance. "Why can't they have a tandle on all the houses that re substandard," asked Jewell. "1 want definite igures. I want to know how fiany. Maybe I'm asking too nuch." Newell had earlier indicated hat the some board members iad become "bored" with ubstandard housing discusion and said, "Some don't ave to deal with it." Northington accused Newell f directing her remarks at im and said, "I defy you to rove otherwise." Alderman Lynne Harpe was bsent from Monday night's leeting. Please see page A12 |V v IJJ^JJI / /
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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July 19, 1984, edition 1
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