Cleveland's rental housing stock is a public health risk, and the city is finally taking steps to launch a citywide inspection.
"Cleveland officials this week shared a timeline for how they plan to roll out the first citywide inspections aimed at preventing lead poisoning and making sure rentals are safer and healthier for children," reports Rachel Dissell and Brie Zeitner.
The timeline presented in the article launches this month, with City Council approval for funding. Inspections are scheduled to begin in July 2017.
The big, overarching goal of the project: to register an estimated 84,000 rental units in the city. According to Dissell and Brie, the new system would require the City Council "to pass legislation that makes failing to register a rental unit a minor misdemeanor - the housing code equivalent of a speeding ticket. The change would allow the city to enforce rental registration without always taking cases to court."
An earlier story by the same duo of reporters provides insight into Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson's thoughts on the program. Going even further back, The Plain Dealer paved the way for these actions with a 2015 series titled "Toxic Neglect."
FULL STORY: How and when Cleveland plans to roll out its new rental inspection plan
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