A new report by Housing Action Illinois and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Code Enforcement as a Tool for Safe, Equitable & Affordable Housing, explores the impact of local housing code enforcement on health, safety, and stability.
The study analyzed housing code enforcement practices in five midsize Illinois cities and Chicago, exploring challenges in current enforcement models and identifying opportunities for reform.
Key findings
- Neighborhoods in low-income areas, particularly those with large populations of people of color, tend to have more code violations. Without the necessary resources to address the root causes, these communities often become trapped in a cycle of repeat violations, which can lead to housing loss through condemnation, demolition, or rent increases tied to mandated repairs.
- Weak penalties for negligent landlords make it harder to improve housing conditions.
- Code enforcement agencies often lack sufficient funding, staff, and strong measures to hold negligent property owners accountable. When landlords face little to no consequences for noncompliance, they’re less likely to make needed repairs, which only worsens housing quality.
- Code enforcement tends to focus more on reducing blight and maintaining property values than on ensuring homes are truly safe and healthy. As a result, serious interior issues like mold, leaks, and electrical hazards are often overlooked by the code enforcement system, even though they have a direct impact on residents’ well-being.
Recommendations
- Local governments could strengthen landlord accountability through tougher penalties and rental licensing programs to ensure safe, healthy housing.
Code enforcement agencies could prioritize fairness in enforcement practices to avoid disproportionately targeting communities in low-income areas and communities of color. - State and local governments could increase funding, staffing, and training for code enforcement agencies to support proactive inspections and better enforcement.
- Social service organizations and housing support providers can connect with code enforcement efforts to help tenants and landlords address underlying issues that lead to violations.
- Policy makers and housing advocates can implement standardized data tracking for code violations to identify patterns, improve accountability, and inform better housing policies.
To view the full report, please click here
To view a summary article from the Urban Institute, please click here.