LIMA — The idea of creating a common housing quality standard in the city of Lima has been gaining traction.
The Lima/Allen County Housing Consortium has created a memorandum of understanding outlining what would be considered essential elements of a livable home, such as having working plumbing, safe electrical service and reliable heating. Among the consortium’s 14 members, which range from those involved in public housing assistance to real estate agents, as many as eight different quality codes have been used in the past.
“We’re asking those agencies to sign onto the MOU and then begin to complete the checklist that’s connected with it so we can start to compile the data, with every intention of increasing the housing quality and stock in the community,” consortium President Dan Faraglia said.
Among the signers are Lima Allen Council on Community Affairs, The Lima-Allen County Regional Planning Commission, The Allen County Metropolitan Housing Authority, the Allen County Department of Job & Family Services, Allen County Children Services and Guiding Light. Other community agencies, including Lima City Council, Mayor David Berger and area churches have also penned letters of support to the consortium.
For Guiding Light executive director Julianne Frankhouser, having a checklist and doing walk-throughs in potential rentals helps ensure that people who may not qualify for subsidized housing do not fall between the cracks.
“Within the community, we have low-income housing for people who do not qualify for Met housing,” she said. “But they don’t always have the water and plumbing working or electricity. We were finding that people were homeless anyway, especially in the winter.”
The consortium also allows agencies and stakeholders to coordinate efforts so the over $9 million spent every year on Allen County housing can have the greatest impact.
“The key is collaboration,” Frankhouser said. “The city is beginning to understand the value of communication.”
Faraglia is hopeful that the consortium can eventually have powers to keep housing providers accountable.
“My vision is that the consortium itself could become a regulatory body to hold people accountable or provide assistance,” he said. “We want to be that liaison to clean up some houses in the area.”
