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Authorizing the Committee on Licenses and Inspections to hold hearings to examine the maintenance, inspection, enforcement, and demolition of deteriorating, blighted, and unsafe properties in the City of Philadelphia
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WHEREAS, Deteriorating and blighted properties can negatively affect neighboring homes and communities, creating potential structural hazards, damage to adjacent properties, declining property values, and diminished quality of life for residents; and
WHEREAS, Property owners whose homes are adversely affected by an adjacent deteriorating, blighted, condemned, or demolished property may have limited recourse, insufficient guidance, and difficulty identifying the appropriate City department or process through which to seek inspections, assistance, and resolution; and
WHEREAS, Residents should have access to a clear and consistent process for reporting concerns about neighboring properties, requesting inspections, documenting damage, receiving timely responses, and seeking appropriate remedies when their homes or property interests are threatened; and
WHEREAS, The Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I), including its Inspections, Safety, and Compliance Department (L&I ISC), and the City’s Quality of Life Department (L&I QOL) have roles in addressing property conditions, code violations, public safety concerns, and neighborhood blight, making effective coordination between these entities essential to ensuring that complaints are properly referred, tracked, and resolved; and
WHEREAS, The City’s inspection, enforcement, and demolition procedures should include appropriate consideration of the potential impacts on adjacent properties, including structural damage and other hazards that may arise from the deterioration or demolition of neighboring structures; and
WHEREAS, The City’s demolition of an unsafe structure may create significant financial hardship for property owners, particularly when the affected property is occupied or when an owner faces displacement, substantial repair costs, or other circumstances beyond their control; and
WHEREAS, When the City obtains a demolition permit, contracts for demolition work, or otherwise undertakes demolition in the interest of public safety, the City should examine whether available demolition funds or other assistance can be used to offset eligible costs rather than automatically imposing the full financial burden on the property owner; and
WHEREAS, The Committee will have the opportunity to review the City’s policies concerning demolition costs, liens, and financial responsibility when the City initiates and directs the demolition of an unsafe structure, including circumstances in which residents remain in the property until an unsafe-structure determination requires them to vacate or otherwise results in displacement.
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the Committee on Licenses and Inspections is hereby called upon to hold hearings to examine the City’s demolition policies provide an opportunity for City Council to hear from relevant City departments, affected property owners, neighborhood organizations, and community stakeholders regarding existing practices, operational challenges, and potential policy reforms.
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