Tagged: boarding homes

The city's new boarding home ordinance is now in place and has been well publicized, but code enforcement officers like Jenny Ramirez are making the rounds to neighborhood associations to make sure everyone knows the rules.

"Today what I really, really wanted to do is focus on giving you a really good concise definition of what we adopted as far as our boarding home ordinance," she said.

Owners who register by March 1 will have until Jan. 1 of 2014 to install the required fire sprinkler system, but those who register after March 1 will have only 30 days from the date they register to meet all the stipulations of the ordinance.

After safety concerns about boarding homes reached the city council following last year's deadly fire, leaders began drafting tighter restrictions on the inspection of boarding homes throughout the city.

City leaders began working on updating city code following the Aug. 15 fire that claimed the lives of four men at a boarding home located at 309 W. Norwood Ct.

On Thursday, city council members approved the ordinance that establishes a yearly boarding home registration and inspection program for the safety of residents.

Often times residents in boarding homes are elderly or disabled. City leaders believe new regulations will increase their quality of life and survivability in worst-case scenarios.