FY2022

The City Council has made funds available to neighborhood associations through the Program for Improving Neighborhoods (PIN) grant program, with $20,000 available annually. Administration of this program involves making applications available to the neighborhoods, clarifying the administrative rules, assisting with project development, coordinating staff review of the applications as well as execution of contract documents and implementation of projects. Additionally, Neighborhood Outreach works with the Public Art Advisory Committee to administer the Public Art Program. The Committee determines the placement of public art, the type of art to be used in a specific project, the artist to be engaged in accordance with the Public Art Strategic Plan. They also administer public art matching grants and oversee the maintenance and disposition of public art. Housing Inspection Housing Inspection’s mission is to ensure that Iowa City’s housing facilities are of the quality necessary to protect and promote the health, safety, and welfare of those persons utilizing these facilities and the general public. The Division strives to achieve these goals and contribute to the overall mission of the City by: • The systematic inspection of all rental properties located in the City, including the inspection of high occupancy units, rooming houses, and multi-family buildings older than 1996, public housing units, fraternities/sororities, and family care units on a one-year cycle. • The inspection of all housing related to the Housing Authority’s Housing Choice Voucher Program. • Investigating and resolving housing and nuisance complaints for all properties. The City of Iowa City began the rental housing inspection division in the mid 1970's. The Division has nine staff members charged with inspecting over 20,000 rental units and responding to nearly 3,000 nuisance complaints on a yearly basis. Housing Inspection works with owners, property managers and tenants to ensure conformance with the Iowa City Housing Code, which establishes minimum health and safety standards necessary to protect and promote the welfare of tenants and the general public as well. Housing Inspection achieves this purpose by inspecting all rental property on a systematic basis. Starting in fiscal year 19 all units with four or more bedrooms, rooming houses, family care units, and multi-family units older than 1996 are inspected on a yearly basis. Complaint inspection may be made upon request. Complaint tracking and land use management software for Housing Inspection staff was upgraded with Tyler Energov software. This replaced the Tidemark land use management software which had been in place for nearly 30 years. The updated technology will allow for greater public web-based access to relevant inspection information and will allow staff to better manage their workloads once fully implemented.

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