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This column reflects the opinion of the writer. Learn about the differences between a news story and an opinion column.

City too lax on housing

On Shawn Vestal’s column for higher density housing (“Housing crisis fix has to be next door,” June 8, 2018), I am just not convinced the city of Spokane is able or willing to rein in deadbeat landlords and their oink-oink tenants.

The reactive (never proactive) M.O. of code enforcement or parking enforcement which can’t even handle the violations they have now makes Shawn’s argument for more tenants per acre ludicrous.

If the city can man-up and get rid of junked-up yards, one-lane, clogged-up, parking-lot streets, Avista-shut-off tenants cooking on hibachi bbq’s indoors, or the Budweisered screaming racial epithets for the last decade-plus, then so be it.

Otherwise, dream on Shawn… The city ain’t up to the task.

Mike Reno

Newman Lake

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