Pittsburgh councilman Peduto proposes public shaming of problem landlords
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Pittsburgh City Councilman Bill Peduto today proposed using an old tactic -- shame -- to get problem landlords to take better care of their properties.
Mr. Peduto said he will introduce legislation asking the city Bureau of Building Inspection to identify the city's 10 worst properties. The public works department then would put up signs in front each of the run-down buildings with the owner's name, address and phone number so neighbors could contact the owner to complain.
"This is a way to bring public pressure to the process," Mr. Peduto said at a press conference.
Mr. Peduto said the city used the same tactic to address five nuisance properties in the late 1990s.
After the five were sold, demolished or improved, he said, the city didn't extend the program to additional properties.
He said it's time to bring the program back because one run-down house can bring down an entire street.
"Once we lose the street, we begin to lose the neighborhood," he said.
The Bureau of Building Inspection would compile a list of the worst properties based on housing court convictions and citations. Residents also could petition to have a problem property added to the list.
First Published November 13, 2012 10:10 am
