Disparities in inspections in substandard housing and environmental health hazards

The Massachusetts State Sanitary Code regulates the responsibilities of landlords and occupants for safe and sanitary housing conditions. The stated purposes of the code is to: “protect the health, safety and well-being of the occupants of housing and the general public, to facilitate the use of legal remedies available to occupants of substandard housing, to assist boards of health in their enforcement of this code and to provide a method of notifying interested parties of violations of conditions which require immediate attention.” This presentation will focus on a review of inspections of substandard housing units in urban environmental justice neighborhoods on behalf of occupants, represented by legal service agencies, and who were served with eviction notices (summary process). This review will analyze the conditions of disrepair reported by occupants, identified by municipal agency inspections, identified by a private licensed inspector and ultimately litigated in court. The efforts by occupants to remediate serious conditions such as rodent and insect infestations often contributed to additional environmental hazards in the home.