LOW-INCOME HOUSING AGAIN HEADED TO CITY COUNCIL

A shortage in affordable housing and the continued decay of homes available to low-income residents has prompted the re-emergence of two contentious issues in Cape Girardeau.

A citizen advisory group has recommended the city council adopt a property maintenance code, and another recommends the council appoint a public housing authority to begin efforts to building public housing units here.

It's not the first time the two issues have surfaced in Cape Girardeau.

City Manager J. Ronald Fischer said the minimum property maintenance code first was on the table about five years ago.

"A group of people came to the city concerned that the city didn't have any guidelines related to existing structures," Fischer said. "There were building codes, but they only applied to new construction and remodeling.

"This group wanted something that could apply to bringing older homes and structures up to more modern standards with out using new building codes -- especially in older neighborhoods where you had people buying old homes and fixing them up, while their neighbor let their properties deteriorate."

Without a property maintenance code, the city has no authority to force homeowners or landlords to maintain their property. So the city council asked the city staff to draft some code guidelines.

"It was one of these things that was not really on the front burner, and after we put together a draft, the issue kind of died down," Fischer said.

But citizens again asked the city for the code.

The council referred the matter to the planning and zoning commission, which recommended the council adopt the Building Officials and Code Administrators (BOCA) version of the property maintenance code.

But at a public hearing on the proposal, the council and planning and zoning commission reacted to criticism from developers and landlords by backing away from the issue.

"It seems to come up every year or so," Fischer said. "The staff did a lengthy report on the housing situation and what was being done in terms of rent subsidies, neighborhood block grants and that sort of thing.

"That seemed to satisfy people in the community."

But not for long.

A group of home owners again came to the city asking for a property maintenance code.

"They felt some people in their neighborhood were not keeping their homes maintained properly and it was driving property values down," Fischer said.

This time, the matter was referred to the city's board of appeals, which -- after nearly two years of wrangling over the issue -- recommended adoption of the BOCA minimum property maintenance code.

But the council berated the proposal, and suggested sweeping changes. Their proposed changes went back to the board of appeals, where members complained that the changes so altered the code that it would be worthless if adopted. The board of appeals sent their original recommendation back to the council.

The issue is expected to be on the council's Dec. 20 meeting.

At the same time the council will consider a recommendation from the Housing Assistance Task Force that the council appoint a housing authority.

The task force members said that, based on their research over the past six months, there is a need for 100-125 "scattered site" public housing units in Cape Girardeau.

Many of the task members cited a shortage of housing for low- to moderate-income residents for their recommendation.

Steve Williams, the city's housing assistance coordinator, said a number of factors have depleted the city's low-income housing stock.

The new Mississippi River Bridge route has removed 69 homes, this summer's flood damaged 120 homes -- of which 30 or so likely will have to be demolished -- and, typically, 30-40 dilapidated homes are condemned and razed each year.

Also, very little of the city's new housing construction in the past several years is for low- to moderate-income residents, Williams said.

Fischer said that, if managed properly, public housing can be an asset to the city.

"I have seen in some communities where it's a disaster," he said. "But in other (cities) -- where the housing authority is made up of good, sincere, dedicated people, and you've got a competent director -- it can be very successful.

Fischer said there already is subsidized apartment buildings for low-income senior citizens in Cape Girardeau.

But he said the private sector considers housing projects for senior citizens a good risk. Units for poor families, on the other hand, are less feasible.

"They'll tell you that the maintenance costs for families renting a subsidized unit are incredibly high," Fischer said.

"I would prefer private enterprise over public housing," he added. "But public housing might be the answer for that young family that can't find adequate housing."

Fischer explained that a housing authority can institute strict regulations for public housing tenants that a private developer wouldn't be allowed to impose on renters.

But it's not likely that public housing will be an easy sell in the community, Fischer said.

Cape Girardeau voters have three times defeated referendums on the issue, in 1970, 1968 and 1962. The issue has resurfaced several times since, but a housing authority appointed in the late 1960s has long since disbanded.

Some council members already have said they favor putting the matter to a vote of the people.

"There will be a very vocal group of people opposed to public housing," Fischer conceded. "But if it's done properly, not overdone, it can be have a positive impact in the community."