GREENSBORO, N.C. - One of the deadliest fires in recent Greensboro history sparks change.
Tuesday night, City Council changed the housing ordinance, to give inspectors the ability to check more units in an apartment building if they find violations at one.
This followed a tragedy that casted a shadow over the Summit Avenue apartments in Greensboro: five refugee children, who died in a fire. The horrific event back on May 12th started a chain reaction - shedding light on a citywide problem of substandard housing.
City inspectors found *hundreds of violations and condemned all but one of the units at the complex. Months later, this week, council passed new housing rules, to keep a closer eye on rental properties.
“It really gets at properties that, are not compliant with our ordinances and then become compliant and then shortly after become non-compliant,” said council member Justin Outling, “It allows the city to be more proactive with those persistently problematic properties.”
If inspectors find major violations in one unit - they'll now be allowed to inspect other units in that same building. Outling says, that way - they can find other potential hazards, sooner.
“Lots of persons in the community recognize that they are fortunate enough to live in good, safe and healthy housing. But the key is that all of us deserve that,” he said.
Renters who live elsewhere in the city say these changes are overdue, especially after seeing what happened on Summit Avenue.
“This cannot be the only one in the city that is in this condition - I would say keep on it,” said Herman Freeman.
“I think it should be inspected, there's not anything wrong with mine, but I think that they should all be inspected because there could be some hazard,” said Haywood Galloway.
“I just want keep my home and pay my rent and live comfortably. That's all I want here,” said Nadine Parris.
New rules - and a renewed effort - to make sure *all homes, are safe.
Before last night's vote, some questioned whether the new rules would be a violation of the Constitution's Fourth Amendment regarding illegal search and seizure. Outling says the changes are modeled after a state law.
Back at the Summit Avenue Apartments, the landlord is still working to correct the violations. The city says 12 of the 42 units are now cleared to live in.
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