By Cynthia Price
Legal News
Grand Rapids City Commission held a meeting at Martin Luther King Elementary School Tuesday night, and was overwhelmed with comments concerning two of its proposals.
The two proposals, both concerning rental housing, have polarized segments of the community.
As reported in the Feb. 9, 2011, Grand Rapids Legal News, concerns about conditions in some single-family rental units prompted activists to set up a working group.
The group’s concern was also motivated by the increase in the number of families in single-family rentals — 70% from 2006 to 2009 alone — likely a result of increased foreclosures forcing people to look for non-owner housing options.
The working group explored the city’s inspection policy, which was to inspect only multiple-renter dwellings, and issued a report recommending that inspections be extended to singlerenter units.
The result was introduction of two ordinance amendments: one to require registration of rental, abandoned, and vacant dwellings, and one to require certification (and therefore inspection) of single-family rental dwellings.
Tuesday night’s hearing on the ordinance changes, held out in the community rather than in city commission chambers, brought out hundreds of people and resulted in over an hour of testimony.
Advocates in favor of the changes asked people to sign up as they entered the meting, and they report that they recorded over 100.
However, testimony was split fairly evenly between those supporting and those opposed.
Landlords and rental property association personnel indicate that, though they admit the increase in the singlefamily rental market has brought out some bad actors, they are concerned about the costs and increased regulation, and feel it is unfair that the “good” landlords will have to pay for the misdeeds of a few.
As far as written communications. those supporting the certification process numbered 29, versus only one in opposition.
Signs indicate that the commission will vote on the ordinance changes at their next meeting Oct. 11. Mayor George Heartwell said Thursday that he believers there will be city commission support after some modifications are made to address rental property owner concerns.
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