San Antonio’s Proactive Apartment Inspections Program Completes Successful First Year

An Effort to Improve Living Conditions

Last year, the City of San Antonio launched the Proactive Apartment Inspections Program with the aim of radically improving conditions for local renters. This initiative was born out of a surge in complaints from tenants about unresolved maintenance problems they experienced in their residences. Stories like Isiah Jackson’s and Guadalupe Rodriguez’s involved everything from roach infestations to severe sewer leaks.

Taking Action against Infestations

In a graphic example, Guadalupe Rodriguez recalls roaches appearing every time she moved a curtain, opened a cupboard, or even tried to slice open an unopened loaf of bread. Unfortunately, even their sleep was not spared, roaches would often crawl on them, disturbing their peace. The situation became alarming when Guadalupe discovered a baby roach pulled out from her 3 month old son’s ear during a doctor’s visit.

Stories like these formed the basis for the launch of the Proactive Apartment Inspections Program. The program introduced a permission for Code Enforcement officers to make unannounced visits to apartment complexes, inspecting for code violations and pending maintenance issues. Within just a year, over 22,600 inspections have been carried out, with more than 7,200 notices of violations issued.

Impact of the Program

The impact of these proactive apartment inspections has been stark. Despite their suffering, Rodriguez and Jackson’s apartment at Alazon Apache Courts did not make the city’s list of worst offenders for notices of code violations. However, approximately 30 other apartment complexes did. These complexes are now under increased scrutiny and are subject to more unannounced inspections, alongside significant fines for non-compliance.

A Step Towards Better Apartment Living

Opportunity Home San Antonio, responsible for the pest control at Alazon, reported that treatments are conducted weekly and rotate between different buildings in the complex. In response to the case of Rodriguez and Jackson, a statement from the property management confirmed that a special treatment plan was discussed, with the residents agreeing to proceed with pest control treatment. This kind of proactive and immediate resolution is the intended outcome of the Proactive Apartment Inspections Program.

Michael Shannon, the Development Services Director, declared the program a tremendous success in its inaugural year, contributing significantly towards improved living conditions for renters in the city. He has plans to provide a detailed overview of the success of the program later this month.

The current strategy is to develop and constantly update a list of registered apartment complexes that record repeat offenses for unsettled code violations. Meanwhile, special pest control treatment has been arranged for Rodriguez and Jackson’s apartment and with the help of city officials, the family is being relocated to another property.