Code enforcement ensures that property owners maintain properties

Code enforcement is a critical function of municipal government, as it ensures that property owners are maintaining their properties and that the local housing stock is safe and habitable for residents. Many of our region’s municipalities are facing greater demands on their code enforcement staff in a time of limited resources and diminished municipal budgets. The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus is leading an effort to develop new, cost-effective solutions to increase the capacity of municipal code enforcement, starting with a pilot project in the south suburbs.

The south suburbs were one of the hardest hit areas in Illinois by the foreclosure crisis, and are currently struggling with increases in the number of single-family homes for rent and high long-term vacancy rates. These circumstances have forced communities to improve staff efficiency in regards to code enforcement and property inspection. The Caucus is working with four south suburban municipalities that have formed a partnership with the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association (SSMMA) and the South Suburban Land Bank and Development Authority (SSLBDA) to create a regional administrative support center (“Administrative Hub” or “Hub”) in an effort to streamline the enforcement of residential property maintenance codes and increase administrative efficiency across the communities….Read more here.

For more information, visit Up to Code.