Allegheny County Board of Health proposes safer conditions for renters
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — The Allegheny County Board of Health is addressing the relationship between landlords and tenants.
It proposes safer conditions for people who are renting out space and living in it. It still has to go before Allegheny County Council.
The action by the board is really to meet some other standards that other municipalities are doing. The board agreed to meet some requirements of the International Property Maintenance Code.
Some of that includes entry doors with deadbolts, GFCI outlets in all bathrooms and sufficient garbage containers.
"We needed as a city and a region to invest more in this space so we are able to take care of all of our neighbors," state Rep. Lindsay Powell said.
Powell is hosting a landlord and tenant meeting on Thursday evening. It doesn't tackle what the county voted on but addresses the same relationship. She said the meeting isn't to pit sides against each other, but rather to bring both the landlord and the tenant together for beneficial resources.
"In a city where we are seeing rising housing costs, we want to make sure every resident is able to make Pittsburgh home and keep Pittsburgh home," Rep. Powell said.
Some of it includes the eviction process which Powell says can be costly for both sides. The state rep. is hoping to provide helpful assets to make eviction not the only option on the table. She currently sits on the Housing Committee in the Pennsylvania State House. One of the big challenges is crossing over municipal lines with certain funds and programs that are only in certain areas.
"We know the issues don't stop at our Pittsburgh border. As a region, we are all facing the same issues," Rep. Powell said.
The Allegheny County Board of Health's legislation still needs Allegheny County Council approval, but the standards would need to be in place by Oct. 1. They plan to have outreach coordinators to inform landlords and tenants over the next several months, in addition to legal notices.
That meeting with Rep. Powell is at the Tripoli Street Community Center at 6:30 p.m.