Re “Mobile home residents allege city’s actions discriminatory in HUD complaint,” May 7-9 edition:

The saga of Rudd’s trailer park off Jeff-Davis Highway is the tip of the iceberg of failed building maintenance inspection that goes back long before I began tracking it 25 years ago. In 1990, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated there were 20,000 substandard houses in Richmond.  

The question arises as to why are buildings allowed to fall into disrepair? One can wade through a litany of excuses — white flight, slovenly landlords acquiring wealth, proximity to public housing, natural cycle of rise and fall. The one reason that never passes the feel-good test is that the mayor does not do his job.

Compounding the failure is that building inspectors have continued to be employed. Without supervision for many years, they have taken on a life of their own, become rogue. Rather than a systematic, orderly and wise use of their vast power to maintain a citywide safe and attractive housing stock, their powers are used sporadically to punish or gain dominion. Perhaps that trailer park is a good spot for a ballpark. Properly, it should never have been allowed to fall into disrepair.

I recently bought a property on Brookland Park Boulevard and innocently engaged the inspectors for permits and advice.  They gave me very difficult tasks to bring the building into compliance.

Readers should be aware of a rental inspection program proposed by several City Council members. What this means is that an area like Carver or Randolph can be designated as “blighted” by council.  Owners of rental properties are then subjected to regular inspections without warrant or invitation and must pay a fee — violations of the Fourth and 14th Amendment protections against unusual search and seizure and unequal treatment. Tragically, the General Assembly wrote this law.

On the face of it, our city officials have lost their way. So, readers first need to get clear in their minds how the system is supposed to work, then direct their thoughts to the mayor and council members. If our elected officials continue to fail, make them uncomfortable until they resign. And come next election, listen for some good sense and affinity for constitutional law.

SAM FORREST

Richmond