Historical October 1991 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Housing Conservation Districts are established by Ordinance for specifically designated areas in the City of St. Louis.
They are intended to “preserve the quality of housing inventory and protect citizens and neighborhoods from deterioration which threatens health, safety and welfare.” Within Housing Conservation Districts, a Certificate of Inspection (COI) is required for structures containing a dwelling unit when: a residential building is sold; or, when a residential unit has a change of tenants and a COI has not been issued within the last 12 months. COI’s are issued by the Building Division after the unit is inspected by specially trained inspectors and the unit meets minimum requirements established by the Housing Conservation District enabling ordinance.
These inspections and requirements apply to items on a Housing Conservation District checklist—they are not as strict as city code. Generally, the COI checklist covers very basic safety and sanitation items: plumbing in working order; doors and locks operable; heating equipment operable: unit not overcrowded, etc. Based on exterior appearances, the majority of properties in Skinker DeBaliviere would pass these interior inspections with only a few, if any, citations.
The benefit to the neighborhood is that those properties which do not meet these minimum standards would have to be improved before they can be occupied. Applications for COI’s are the responsibility of the owner or manager of rental properties, and generally the purchaser in a sales transaction. Applications and appointments for an inspection can be made in person or by phone at City Hall.
The cost per inspection is $40 for a single unit, plus $10 per additional unit in the same building, or $10 each for up to three additional scattered site units owned by the same person. Alderman McGuire has introduced a Board Bill that would establish Skinker DeBaliviere as a Housing Conservation District. Several sub-committees of the Skinker DeBaliviere Planning Committee recommended that such an ordinance be enacted. McGuire wants to meet with neighbors who have questions or concerns before proceeding with this legislation. Housing Conservation Districts have been established in several other neighborhoods in St. Louis and very few complaints have been registered by property owners or residents in these areas about the program. Neighborhoods have found that it is a good tool for combatting substantially sub-standard housing and overcrowding in units.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, October 1991.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1991_10.pdf, printed page(s) 7; PDF page(s) 7.
