Twilight Zoning in Bellingham: Two Bellingham Programs Assist Rental Property Owners

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Two Bellingham Programs Assist Rental Property Owners

The City of Bellingham offers two programs to assist rental owners in maintaining their properties. One provides loans for repairs of rentals and the other a means to keep rentals crime free.

"The purpose of the City of Bellingham Rental Rehabilitation Program (RRP) is to assist qualified investor owners of rental properties located within the City limits to rehabilitate existing units and to increase the supply of rental housing stock available to low and moderate income families." RRP details can be found on the City of Bellingham website by clicking here. For additional information you can phone Lisa Manos at 778-8391 or send an email to her at lmanos@cob.org.

The Crime Free Multi-Housing Program is part of an international program that began in 1992 and is now available in over 40 states in the US. In spite of its name, the program is also available to owners of single family rentals. From the city's website is this, "The Bellingham Police Department coordinates the training for the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program. It consists of an 8 hour training session presented by representatives from police, local screening companies, landlord-tenant attorneys, and fire. Its goal is to provide a comprehensive approach to reduce crime and improve the quality of life in rentals. A certificate is awarded upon the completion of the 8 hour class. Rental owners and managers benefit greatly, learning how this program can increase profits and prevent crime too!" You can find information on this program by clicking here. You can also call Officer Mark Young at the Bellingham Police Department at 778-8618 or send an email to myoung@cob.org.

The Zonemaven finds it interesting that on one hand the city offers these programs to rental owners in recognition of problems having to do with the condition of rentals while the Mayor contends that there is no need for rental licensing and inspections for health and safety reasons.

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The Rationale for Rental Licensing

There is the definitive experience of cities that have already adopted rental licensing and inspections in the face of exactly the same opposition as we saw in Bellingham over the last decade. Ultimately, each of these cities was proven correct in its resolve to move ahead to protect the safety and health of the renters. We already know that the city of Pasco, WA found that 15% of the units inspected under their program had serious life/safety issues. 10% had mold problems. A full 85% had problems of varying degrees. The city of Gresham, OR performed over 1600 inspections in 2009 and issued, as a result, over 4,000 citations. Lexington, KY performed inspections of units near the University of Kentucky and found that 50% had life/safety issues. Sacramento, CA began an inspection program during which one third of the units inspected had serious safety and health issues. The question why does anyone believe that the condition of rental housing here in Bellingham does not mirror that which is found in cities that have the statistics to show that time and time again the condition of rentals in our cities is problematic? All we have had to date from those who oppose licensing are broad statements by the landlords and their paladins that are completely and utterly unsubstantiated. The Zonemaven has searched in vain for the horror stories that these opponents of licensing and inspections have predicted. On the other hand, The Zonemaven did find over 100 cities that have licensing AND inspections without the catastrophic effect for the rental markets that the landlords would have you believe. (See this blog's sidebar at bottom left for list)

One Reason Illegal Rooming Houses Do Not Work

The limit for unrelated persons at a single family home rental is three residents. Leases are signed by three people who then invite additional renters to join them to lower per capita rental rates. The perverse effect is that rental rates tend to rise under these circumstances making it difficult for single families to rent single family homes. Some local rental agencies facilitate this practice.

"To say that a family is so equivalent to a ragtag collection of college roommates as to require identical treatment in zoning decisions defies the reality of the place of the family in American society, despite any changes that institution has undergone in recent years. Only the most cynical among us would say that the American family has devolved to the point of no greater importance or consideration in governmental decision making than a group of college roommates." (Stegeman v. City of Ann Arbor)

That being said, accommodation ought to be made for protected classes, especially non-traditional unions and group houses for the disabled. These classes are laid out in federal and Washington State law.