Letter: Call to mayor to improve housing

Thursday, Nov. 17, 2005 | 7:44 a.m.

Regarding the Sun's Nov. 9 story, "Down and out -- lack of inspectors puts low-income residences in jeopardy":

How could anyone look at the terrible conditions of those poor people living in low-rent housing and not want to cry. As Americans we can do better than this. Let's put our heads together and get a plan that will clean up the mess (at the expense of the slumlords) and better regulate these hovels.

I read there is only one inspector in Las Vegas for about 55,000 rental apartments.

If that is the case or even close to it, we may need to turn to retired construction workers as volunteers, much like retired police officers. Many of them have time and would be easy to train as inspectors for the city and then report back to the city inspector. Just a thought -- see if anyone wants to run with it.

As to the slumlords, if you own it and reap revenue from it, you should maintain it or face severe fines or jail time. We cannot let these poor people suffer any more from unresponsive owners.

Please, "Happiest Mayor in America," suggest new regulations to stop these slumlords from doing the wrong things -- it will make your city so much better.

Jeannette Kendrick

Mesquite