Salisbury HAC to debut proposed housing ordinance to curb crime and violence in rental properties Monday, Dec. 12

Salisbury, N.C., (Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016) -- The Salisbury Housing Advocacy Commission will host a public forum on a proposed ordinance, titled the Remedial Action Program (RAP), to hold landlords accountable for recurring crime and disorder activity on or in their properties, Monday, Dec. 12, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at One Water St.

Repeated crime and disorder activity disrupts neighborhood peace and harmony, and makes the area a less than desirable place in which to live and invest. Modeled after similar ordinances in Charlotte and Gastonia, the RAP is designed to build relationships between police officers and the owners of rental housing within their assigned patrol areas.

The RAP ordinance would establish maximum thresholds for crime and disorder activity, taking into account the number of units in the structure and the level of severity of the incidents. When the number of calls for service exceeds the threshold, the property owner or manager will attend a mandatory meeting with the Salisbury Police Department and code services officials to develop a RAP outlining specific actions to be taken to reduce the amount of disorder calls.

Properties that fall under the ordinance will be re-evaluated after a three-month period to determine whether the plan has been effective, or if additional actions are needed, and then evaluated again in three months. The Salisbury Police Department will administer the program in conjunction with code services.

Landlords and property managers who participate in voluntary registration will receive timely email alerts about disorder activity involving properties they manage, allowing them to be quickly informed about conditions that may negatively impact their property and the surrounding area. Free landlord training will also be offered once the program is fully operational.

The forum will be geared toward owners and property managers of rental housing, in addition to neighborhood representatives and the general public.