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Financial and/or Resource Considerations This would be a new program area, with no allocated resources or budget. Authorization for new staffing and General Fund expenditures might be required depending on the council's direction. Staff will prepare budget and time estimates for implementation based on that direction. Other Background Information The question of whether Eugene needs a housing code has been addressed a number of times since the housing code was eliminated in 1983. A department advisory committee worked on the issue for over a year and presented a housing code for consideration in 1997. The advisory committee also presented multiple options for funding a housing code including rental fees for landlords. The advisory committee included representation from tenant, landlord and citizen groups. The committee also was involved in extensive outreach with organizations such as the Neighborhood Leaders Council, Homeless Action Coalition, Associated Students of LCC, Rental Owners Association, Multifamily Housing Council, Citizens for Public Accountability, City Club, Chamber of Commerce, and St Vincent de Paul. 1. Need The extent of substandard housing conditions is unknown. Since there has not been a housing code for many years or any type of housing condition survey, there is no data to substantiate the current condition of housing in Eugene. The 1995 Scoping Report on Housing Conditions provided some general information on age of housing at that time which was that 60 % of Eugene's housing was constructed prior to 1969. In general, major systems in housing start to show signs of deterioration after 25 - 30 years. The report also cited a survey conducted by Lane County Housing Authority and Community Services Agency (HACSA) in 1988 that indicated 64 % of Eugene respondents rated their homes as excellent or good, 26 % average, and 10 % poor or very poor. Information from that survey is 16 years old and current information available is largely anecdotal. When the department advisory committee attempted to document the need for a housing code, its members reached the conclusion that a small number of properties comprised the majority of the problems. The City refers housing condition calls to Lane County Law and Advocacy Center (formerly Legal Aid) or private attorneys unless a structure has become so dilapidated that it is considered unsafe under Chapter 8 of the Eugene Code. City staff receive approximately 400 calls a year regarding housing in general. Many of those calls are concerning landlord/tenant issues that are referred to private attorneys or legal aid services. A handful of those calls are investigated each year for potential unsafe conditions. Of those, only one was processed as an unsafe building case in 2003. Lane County Law and Advocacy Center handled 124 habitability cases in calendar year 2003, although we do not know the specifics of those cases. In addition, Legal Services at the University of Oregon dealt with approximately 160 landlord/tenant cases, although again we do not know the specifics of those cases or if they were habitability related. 2. Current Rental Housing Information Based on 2000 Census data, there are approximately 30,000 renter-occupied housing units in the Eugene area. Approximately 8,000 of those rental units are single-family dwellings or duplexes. Attachment A shows types of housing units and rental to home ownership comparisons by neighborhood. Since the Census data is by neighborhood, it may not correspond accurately to city limits boundaries. According to more current estimates from Duncan and Brown and Associates, the L:\CMO\2004 Council Agendas\M040524\S040524B.wpd