Health Advocates Worry About Effect of Poor Building Maintenance
Health advocates in California are concerned about the effect that poorly maintained rental units in low-income areas can have on public health, HealthyCal reports.
Background
About 15 years ago, Los Angeles city officials reformed residential building inspection regulations and launched the nation's first regular building-by-building, room-by-room investigation of health and safety code compliance.
Currently, under the city Department of Housing's "Systematic Code Enforcement Program," each of Los Angeles' 120,000 apartment buildings receives an inspection at least once every four years.
At the onset of the program, officials identified 150,000 apartment units that failed to meet health codes. That number has since decreased to about 3,400.
Health Advocates Call for Action
However, health advocates and apartment tenants say it still is too easy for landlords to neglect basic building maintenance.
The advocates are calling on Los Angeles officials to investigate allergens like black mold and cockroach waste that could be a factor in high asthma rates among children in some low-income areas of the city.
Jim Mangia -- president of St. John Well Child & Family Center -- said, "We know that we have direct control over the indoor triggers that cause asthma and that are making our children sick."
He said, "What we need is more inspectors, what we need is more enforcement, and what we need is for inspectors to be educated about the ways that landlords will cover things up."
Greg Spiegel -- public policy director at the Inner City Law Center -- said he wants city officials to give more specific instructions about building inspections (Richard, HealthyCal, 6/19). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.