Quality, affordable housing and updating our infrastructure is a fourth area. We must insure that those residents in our city that have been or will be displaced due to the closing of their current housing complexes will be given access to quality affordable housing. These tenants should have emergency help to minimize their immediate hardship.
We must have a comprehensive housing plan that demolishes houses that are beyond repair, and yet saves those homes that can be revitalized. When a house is demolished the vacant space must be utilized. We can implement incentives for homeowners to encourage home improvement, renew the area by creating new green spaces, and build new structures that upgrade and beautify our neighborhoods.
Those who currently rent should not be forced to live in apartments and residences that do not meet building codes. Landlords who own dozens of units and fail to maintain their properties must be held accountable. It is not fair that large landlords have been allowed to operate under different standards than a family that invests in a house in hopes of securing their future and retirement. We cannot allow legal loopholes to shield these real-estate investors any longer.
As our infrastructure ages, we must move to upgrade it. We cannot wait for a municipal crisis, but must begin to identify those structures which need immediate attention. With federal stimulus dollars at stake, we must be ready with a plan that prioritizes our needs, and has a schedule for incremental replacement. For our local area to continue growing we must be sure that the city’s infrastructure is strong and can support an influx of new business, and people.