The evidence is unequivocal: housing quality and safety is a powerful predictor of health and well-being — especially for children.
Yet for millions of renters in the United States, dangerous in-home hazards like mold, pests, lead contamination, exposed wires, and leaky pipes are a daily reality. And due to our country’s history of structural racism and discrimination, these risks are especially acute in BIPOC and low-income communities.
Proactive rental inspection (PRI) programs enforce housing codes through periodic inspections rather than relying on tenant complaints, reducing the likelihood that renters will be evicted or illegally punished for reporting hazards. PRI programs can also be designed to minimize inequities that might arise from enforcement actions.
Through PRI programs, local governments and housing advocates can work cooperatively with building owners to improve housing quality, protect tenant health and well-being, and keep people in affordable homes.
Our comprehensive new resource, A Guide to Proactive Rental Inspections, is for local housing advocates and officials who wish to create or update a PRI program with equity in mind.
11/2/2022