Lessons Learned:

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Concrete Change
Lessons Learned An Overview of Successful
Visitability Ordinances
Eleanor Smith Concrete Change www.concretechange.o
rg Ohio State University July, 2006
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Highest numbers of knownHouses produced to
dateUnder U.S. Visitability ordinances
Pima County, Arizona 11,000 San
Antonio, Texas 7,000 Bolingbrook,
Illinois 3,000 Atlanta, Georgia ord.
600 Georgia State Law 200
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Varying Types and Scopes of Ordinances

• Types
• Tied to Benefits
• Every New Home
• Scopes
• Local
• State
• Federal
• see Poster Presentation by
  Darrell
• Price re The Inclusive Home
  Design Act

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Sample Houses--Bolingbrook IL
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Sample HousesSan Antonio
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Sample HousesAtlanta GA
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Lessons Learned

• Sparks and Flames
• Trail-blazing Legislators
• Coalitions

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Sparks and Flames
Becca Vaughn Topeka KS
Advocates kicking off Federal IHDA
OHIO Renee Riddle Mark Cole Wendy Wiitala
Edward Bannister Bolingbrook IL
State Senator Vicki Walker OR
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Trail-blazing Legislators
Mayor Roger Claar Bolingbrook IL
Councilwoman Myrtle Davis Atlanta GA
State Representative Lorence Wenke MI
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Building Support
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Who typically opposes?

• NAHB and state/local Home Builders Associations
  (nearly always)
• Affordable Housing Groups (sometimes)

• How can advocates respond to
• opposition?
• Present the facts re the need, the costs
• and the practicality of Visitable
  construction.
• Keep reiterating the costs of Not changing
• the way we are currently building homes.

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Lessons Learned
Enforcement In the text of the bill And
After the bill is passed.
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Enforcement language within the ordinance text
Bolingbrook IL consequences Section
25-911. PENALTY Any person, firm or corporation
that violates any provision of this Article
shall be subject to a fine of not less than
50.oo nor more than 500.00 for each such
offense and each day on which violation occurs
or continues to occur shall be a
separate offense. Pima County AZ agent in
charge, and education SECTION 5. The various
County officers and employees are authorized
and directed to perform all acts necessary or
desirable to give effect to this ordinance,
including, but not limited to, providing an
instructional pamphlet setting forth in plain
language the requirements of this
Ordinance. Austin TX agent in charge Sec.
7-1-174 MONITORING REQUIRED The City Manager
shall monitor the administration of this
article.
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San Antonio TX Agent and Process
Sec. 6-319. Implementation. (a) A copy of the
ordinance from which this article derives and
attachments shall be included in city contracts
funding the new construction of single family
homes, duplexes and triplexes entered into by
the city or its agents, for example but not
limited to, the San Antonio Housing Trust Fund,
the department of housing and community
development and the community initiatives
department.(b) Architects and builders
shall(1) Clearly stamp or print "Universal
Design" on plans submitted in accordance with
this article(2) Clearly identify design
elements complying with section 6-315 and
attached to city funding contracts and(3)
Certify that the plans comply with the
requirements of this article.(c) Plan checking,
construction inspections and enforcement shall be
accomplished by the development services
department in accordance with existing
procedures.
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Enforcement after the law passes Good ideas

• Each time a builder receives a building permit
  (if the law covers every house) or applies for a
  benefit (if the law applies to only homes
  receiving benefits) the builder signs and dates a
  form
• affirming the they are aware of the requirements
  of the law. This
• Form is kept on file in the relevant government
  office.
• A clear process is set up that lets inspectors
  know which houses
• (if not all) must have the access features.
• Inspectors check for access during one of the
  regular inspections
• And uses a simple checklist to record whether
  each required
• Feature has been incorporated. No separate,
  special inspections
• are needed.
• A list of street addresses, dates of permitting,
  and builder name
• of any properties which received exemption from
  the requirements is kept on record.
• Unless every new home is covered by an
  ordinance, a list is kept of street addresses,
  dates of permitting, builder name and specific
• benefit that triggered the ordinance. This list
  is made readily

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Sample page from quarterly report, Atlanta
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Lessons Learned
If your first ordinance efforts fail,
persevere.