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HRA Meeting Minutes – Tuesday, June 16, 2009 Page 4 Members, staff, and Ms. Larson discussed the City of St. Louis Park’s rental inspection program and other city-wide inspection/rehabilitation programs in operation since 2002, and proving successful. Ms. Larson advised that the Rehab Program had been initiated after a residential survey indicated a number of blighted properties unknown or unrecognized by City staff, followed by a complete windshield tour by inspectors, who took pictures and noted conditions of all 11,700 single-family homes in St. Louis Park, with 200 of those with the most deferred maintenance issues chosen by the City for immediate rehabilitation. Ms. Larson advised that the City worked with the MHFA, leveraging matching funds on a 1:1 basis, with an initial inspection, followed by letters to home owners and face-to-face meetings with residents to educate them on programs/funds available; and the program proving very successful and repeated every four (4) years by the City Council, with each round finding fewer problem properties. Ms. Larson noted that their findings had been that limited income had not been the main reason for people not maintaining their properties, but that lack of technical assistance, how to identify the scope of work needed, and how to coordinate with contractors had been the main issues, and not necessarily related to an aging population, but on the complexity of issues before a property owner. Ms. Larson advised that the City was realizing a 97% compliance rate with this program; and that awareness of problem issues was the first step. Ms. Larson also addressed their success in targeting specific neighborhoods for exterior corrections, providing residents with a choice of a $4,000 matching grant or deferred loan over ten (10) years, and that this program had completely rejuvenated a tired neighborhood in their community. Ms. Larson noted several other affordable housing providers/agencies that the City worked with cooperatively by providing funding to assist them in providing assistance with property maintenance issues for homeowners, rather than City staff administering those types of programs, but still accomplishing the same goals. Ms. Larson reviewed the City of St. Louis Park’s rental inspections program, staffing (2-FTE); frequency (bi-annually); physical inspections and education of property owners; referrals; “Report a Problem” (RAP) program; monthly rental coalition meetings rental property owners/managers; crime-free ordinance and inspections; and an annual rental study completed since 1978 to provide ongoing data and areas of need. Ms. Larson summarized the City’s Crime Free Ordinance implemented two (2) years ago, modeled after those of the Cities of Richfield and Brooklyn Park; and the strong nature of the ordinance, with property owners getting three (3) strikes, and mandated to participate in crime free training of eight (8) hours. Ms. Larson concluded her presentation by discussing use of the West Hennepin county Affordable Land Trust, with five (5) homes purchased to-date, where the Trust purchases the property, sells the rehabilitated home to a low-income homeowner for the price of the home only, with the Trust retaining ownership of the property through a 99-year lease, and the homeowner only paying for the home, but paying taxes on the home and land. Ms. Larson noted that future sales of the home were stipulated and retained as low-income affordable housing as well, based on federal income guidelines. Ms. Larson noted that the Land Trust screened residents and handled administration, with the City providing money and a line of credit for the Land Trust. Ms. Larson distributed brochures entitled, “Live Where You Work,” another incentive provided in the City of St. Louis Park to enhance community ownership of employees within the City, with employers asked to contribute, providing good employee retention, and saving energy with less commuting.