Housing conditions studied, improved
பொருளின் நாம். செய்ய வேண்டும் அது என்.
New programs will hardly affect KU students
(Editor's note. This is the second of three articles on substandard housing in Lawrence. The third will appear in the Friday Kansan.)
By DAVE BROYLES Kansan Staff Writer
During the past year the Lawrence City Commission has begun three major programs to improve Lawrence housing conditions.
The programs will have intue immediate impact on off-campus student housing because of legal restrictions, city officials told the Kansan. The officials said the city government does not have adequate legal or financial resources to eliminate substandard conditions in student housing.
Lawrence is already feeling the impact of one of the three programs. In the past seven months the City Commission has ordered the demolition of nearly 50 vacant structures located primarily in north and east Lawrence.
THIS RECENT flurry of activity is the result of increased enforcement of Lawrence's Minimum Structures Code. The code had not been extensively enforced in the past because of a staff shortage in the city building inspector's office.
Early in June the city commission hired Richardson, Lawrence third-year law student, as public officer for enforcement of the Minimum Structures Code. Richardson has inspected and initiated action against more than 100 substandard dwellings.
Richardson had no previous experience as a building inspector. While learning on the job as an
12 KANSAN Jan.8 1970
assistant to building inspector Ken Jorgensen, he was assigned to locate and tag deserted houses and notify their owners.
"People act differently," Richardson said. "The majority of property owners, but not all, are unpleasant to say the least. The job has given me good background in working with people."
A standard legal procedure is followed in all cases. The building inspector or his assistant can initiate inspections wherever they feel such inspections necessary. They are required to act on all formal complaints, which must be signed by five local residents.
Richardson finds the job interesting and will continue to work part-time through next spring
When the inspector finds code violations, he notifies the owners by letter. Owners then may request a hearing before the city commission. After hearing appeals, the city commission can order repair or demolition based on consideration of the circumstances. If the owners do not make repairs within 45 days, the city can make the repair and charge expenses to the owner. This procedure can take as long as four months.
KEN JORGENSEN, city building inspector, told the Kansan that the present enforcement procedures are not strong enough. He said the long time delay weakens enforcement efforts.
Another major problem is the relocation of tenants from inhabited structures. The Minimum Structures Code requires that rented structures be vacated after orders are issued. Restrictions on federal housing programs require that families must be relocated in structures they can afford and also structures which meet all code standards.
This problem makes relocation almost impossible in Lawrence at the present time. Thus, extensive code enforcement on inhabited structures will be restricted until low-cost housing is constructed.
HOUSING NEAR the campus has received some enforcement, but Jorgensen said efforts have been concentrated in north and east Lawrence.
"Though the area around campus is definitely deteriorating, there are other neighborhoods that are worse," Jorgensen said. "We are concentrating our efforts where they are needed most."
The Lawrence City Commission has applied for federal assistance for construction and rehabilitation of low-cost housing.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development approved the commission's application for public housing Sept. 30. The commission received a $100,000 preliminary planning loan with authorization to plan for 250 units.
PRELINMINARY PLANS for the public housing will be submitted to HUD within the next few months. Plans will include site selection, preliminary architectural work, proposed rental rates and management, cost estimates, and estimated date of completion.
The city commission also applied for a $1,093,000 first year grant for a Neighborhood Development Program. HUD is still considering the application. If approved, the grant would begin rehabilitation of downtown Lawrence and surrounding residential areas.
Of the 250 public housing units, 120 will be for elderly persons. The remaining 130 will be for general occupancy. Rental rates for apartments with one to five
bedrooms will range from approximately $40 to $70 per month including utilities.
General occupancy units are restricted by federal law to families meeting certain need criteria. Preference is given to low income families with children. Few if any KU students are eligible.
One major reason why the city commission is constructing public housing is to enable relocation of tenants from substandard housing so that housing codes can be enforced. Unfortunately, relocation of individuals and KU students will still be difficult.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD Development Program, (NDP), is approved by HUD, will make funds available for rehabilitation, urban renewal, and intensive code enforcement.
Included in the first NDP program year will be construction of a mall on Massachusetts Street between Ninth Street and Eleventh Street, rehabilitation of downtown commercial buildings and intensive study of the surrounding residential areas.
Intensive code enforcement, rehabilitation and selective urban renewal of housing will begin in the second year. All properties in the area will be inspected and
owners will be required to make all needed repairs.
If owners fail to make repairs, the city commission will be able to purchase properties for repair and resale.
THE INITIAL NDP program year will include those areas north of Fifteenth Street and east of a line running between Tennessee Street and Ohio Street. The initial boundaries, admittedly arbitrary, can be extended in the future.
Probably half of the roomng houses inhabited by KU students are not included in the initial boundaries. Neither the NDP nor public housing will have much immediate impact on student housing problems.
Dennis Kallsen, acting city manager, told the Kansan that the effects would be indirect.
"Because of regulations on federal grants there isn't much we can do about the student housing problem," he said.
"The only real effect I see is that the increased supply of low-cost housing will make it easier for KU students to find inexpensive housing," Kallsen said. "Code enforcement will still be complicated by relocation problems."
Next: Solving the problem
Off the wire
By United Press International
MANCHESTER, N.H.—Msgr. Wilfrid Paradis, director of St. Anthony's High School, announcing cancellation of the school's first interscholastic basketball season this year after two losses: "We found out it was not a very wise decision to enter this league at this time."
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