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On July 1, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rejected its own proposed rule that would have mandated additional responsibilities for site owners and managers under the Lead Renovation Repair and Painting (RRP) rules, which apply to buildings built before 1978. The proposal would have required on-site maintenance staff and third-party contractors who engage in activities that disturb surfaces that may contain lead to replace simple post-renovation field tests with more expensive clearance testing.
Due to record heat waves set in many areas of the country this summer, you may have noticed an increase in the number of residents installing air conditioners in their windows, especially if your site has no central air conditioning. Unfortunately, residents don't always install them properly. Instead of using secure metal brackets, they may try to secure the units in their windows with bricks or wooden blocks.
Graffiti is the most common type of property vandalism (35 percent), according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. It is more than a nuisance to site owners and maintenance staff. Graffiti has a negative impact on residents, prospects, and the surrounding community by reducing the curb appeal of your site, lowering residents' quality of life, and inviting additional crime. The presence of graffiti on buildings and in common areas also may result in a citation during your next site inspection.
Creating positive curb appeal is essential to attract eligible candidates to your tax credit site and combat negative perceptions of low-income housing among the local community. You may think that an expansive, rolling green lawn contributes to your site's overall attractiveness, but maintaining it probably puts a huge dent in your operating budget.
Site owners and managers beware: This is the time of year when accidental carbon monoxide poisonings peak. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that's produced when fuel is incompletely burned. In the winter months, faulty furnaces and fuel-burning appliances, and snow-covered or blocked furnace vents, chimneys, flues, and air intakes are top contributors to carbon monoxide poisonings.
The headlines are alarming. It has become all too common to see reports about “toxic mold” shutting down buildings, or about families fleeing from “black mold” in their homes. These types of stories have fueled public hysteria leading to skyrocketing mold-related lawsuits over the past decade.
Last May, a young social worker fell to his death from the 24th-floor balcony of his New York City apartment building after part of the railing gave way. Officials from the city's Department of Buildings (DOB) reported that the balcony's railing was “loose and damaged,” and that the owners of the building had failed to inspect the balconies for the past 10 years.
“Don't let the bedbugs bite!” Most of us recognize that line from a popular nursery rhyme. It also may be a reason why many people used to believe that bedbugs were a myth. In fact, the public's resistance to believing that bedbugs are real has been one of the major hurdles in dealing with them, reports the National Pest Management Association (NPMA).
In a recent television program, a 65-year-old woman living on her own became sick and collapsed in her home. When rescue workers arrived, they found her in the kitchen wedged among mountains of clutter, trash, and human feces. She had to be removed through the window. The show, called Hoarders, is not a television drama or movie of the week. It's a reality series airing on A&E that offers a gripping view into the lives of compulsive hoarders, and the impact that their illnesses have had on their lives and their families' lives.
The deadline is approaching for site and maintenance staff of pre-1978 housing to be trained and certified in lead-safe work practices. After April 22, 2010, sites that conduct repair work that disturbs paint in housing built before 1978 must ensure that the work is performed by certified renovation firms, use renovators with accredited training, and follow the work practice requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair, and Painting Program Rule.
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