Landlords Must Share Responsibility For Neighborhood

Sun., Nov. 5, 2000

Monica Peeler Special To Perspective

I’ve lived in the West Central neighborhood for a little over two years. In that time, I’ve seen crime, drug use and trafficking and neglect of rental property.

It was suggested at a public forum I attended that a higher living wage be effected, enabling people to move to better areas. This is an excellent idea, however, for the elderly, disabled, and those on fixed incomes, this is not going to happen.

The homeowners think crime is concentrated in the rentals, and blame tenants and landlords. I suggest landlord, tenant and personal accountability for our neighborhoods.

Perhaps the concerned homeowners should form a committee and police complaints directed at properties, tenants and landlords.

Landlords should be responsible for screening, follow-up and eviction if tenants are in non-compliance with regulations. The landlord’s interests should be focused on current tenants and keeping the neighborhood safe, not just in making a profit!

If a landlord doesn’t act promptly regarding any complaints of crime, violence, drug use, drug trafficking or neglect of the property, he or she should be subject to a fine.

Better landlords and properties. Better tenants and neighborhoods. Let’s clean up our neighborhoods and make them livable again.

At a community forum to discuss the West Central neighborhood, we asked for solutions to the area’s low-rent reputation and high crime rate.Today, we present three essays from readers. See related stories under headlines: Higher wages and subsidized rents would help this area; and Volunteer programs play a big role in turning things around

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