HOUSING CODE

HOUSING CODE. In early April, 1979 a committee worked eighteen months composing all the rules and regulations it was felt residents, landlords, and inspectors needed to ensure safe housing in Dubuque. When presented, the 55-page code met with stiff opposition as being too restrictive and perhaps even unconstitutional because of its inspection provisions. Gradually most people found the regulations were reasonable and expected them to last a long time.

However, in the spring of 1980 the Iowa Legislature repealed the state's housing code and required all cities with more than 15,00 residents to adopt one of five nationally recognized housing codes. Failure to adopt a new code would result in the imposition of the most strict of the five choices.

Dubuque officials chose the code proposed by Housing and Urban Development in part because there was less danger of being sued. Two housing inspectors worked with the new HUD standards and tailored them for Dubuque before the new code was presented to the city council. There were some additions needed. The new codes had no precautions for preventing poisoning by lead-based paint, minimum standards for heating a building during the winter, and differentiating between minor and major violations in the notice and appeals process.

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Source:

Hendricks, Mike, "City's Housing Code Effort Goes Down the Drain," Telegraph Herald, October 9 1980, p. 1A