Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) reintroduced on April 11 the “HUD Inspection Process and Enforcement Reform Act of 2019.” The legislation aims to improve federal housing inspections and to hold landlords accountable for misusing taxpayer dollars or endangering tenant health and safety. Senator Rubio first introduced the bill in 2016.
The legislation requires HUD to publish reports detailing facility inspection scores and allows the HUD secretary to better enforce standards. The secretary would have the ability to impose civil monetary penalties, transfer property ownership from landlords, and prohibit them from receiving other federal funding. The bill also allows HUD to reduce the grade or pay of certain HUD employees for misconduct or even to remove them. Whistleblowers who report misconduct to the Office of Special Counsel are protected by the legislation.
“Low income housing residents have suffered at the hands of slumlords like Global Ministries Foundation who were able to get away with their despicable scheme in part because of HUD’s lax oversight,” said Senator Rubio. “This legislation will protect vulnerable residents from these despicable slumlords and hold HUD accountable for the deplorable living conditions that too many Floridians have had to face.”
Find the full text of the bill at: https://bit.ly/2G9DWxX