- Target:
- Baltimore City Department of Housing
- Region:
- United States of America
The Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has hired contractors for “emergency demolition” projects to reduce the number of unsafe vacant properties in Baltimore City. The intention of this publicly funded project is to eliminate blight however in many cases, due to lack of oversight and performance, they are having the opposite effect.
Unsafe construction practices in violation of the building code and OSHA standards are putting residents at risk. It is the responsibility of the Department of Housing to inspect these demolition sites and enforce the codes but there is no evidence that they have done so.
Service requests to 311 and emails to DHCD from concerned residents have failed to produce any meaningful response from the city or the contractors.
The Department of Housing doesn’t think that they are responsible for their contractor’s unsafe practices. We disagree. Please join us in signing this petition if you believe that the Department of Housing should put resident safety first and be accountable for the actions of their contractors.
Photos here: https://goo.gl/photos/bVthJ5eAgZ1BcUp46
Follow us on social media: #FightBlightBmore #SandtownSouth #AuditBmore
The residents of Baltimore City call on the Department of Housing and Community Development to remedy all unsafe conditions on their emergency demolition sites and to ensure resident safety through the following measures:
-Perform regular inspections and issue violations as appropriate.
-Hold the contractors to the terms of their contracts which include requirements to maintain security, safety, and to complete the work in a timely manner.
-Withhold payment in accordance with the contract terms in the event of non-performance.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Safe Demolition in Baltimore City petition to Baltimore City Department of Housing was written by Sandtown South Neighborhood Alliance and is in the category Government at GoPetition.