Public input documents shared during Housing Department Public HearingWHEREAS, residents of manufactured housing parks in our community have alerted
City of Dubuque staff and elected officials to alarming increases in their lot rent, coupled
with reductions and deficiencies in park maintenance, and
WHEREAS, residents of manufactured housing parks in our community have protested
the relative lack of protections available to them under state law, including eviction
without cause; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of Dubuque recognizes that our community's housing
costs have outpaced local incomes, and that manufactured homes have traditionally
been of vital importance as one of the most affordable sources of safe, decent housing;
and
WHEREAS, the City Council of Dubuque recognizes that residents of manufactured
housing parks support our economy and community, provide many of the services and
work that our local economy needs to thrive; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of Dubuque recognizes that to ensure fairness across our
City and our state, leaders at all levels of government and throughout the community
need to work together to guarantee residents of manufactured home parks stability,
safety, and security,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
DUBUQUE, IOWA, AS FOLLOWS:
We see and hear manufactured housing park residents as they speak out on the
unfairness that has become a part of their lives and threatens their homes; and
We offer gratitude to manufactured housing park residents for the work they do to
organize and speak out, often despite concerns about how such action might also
threaten their ability to stay in their homes; and
We add the voice of the City of Dubuque to the calls for the owners of manufactured
housing parks in and around our community to reduce the amount and frequency of rent
increases, restore park maintenance and other services to park residents that they
previously relied upon; and
We add the voice of the City of Dubuque to the calls for State elected officials to fix state
laws to address the unfairness that makes so many of our residents vulnerable to
unscrupulous practices; and
We call upon state lawmakers to restore the ability of local communities to exercise
home rule and remove barriers to the enactment of local ordinances that would
accomplish the above list of goals; and
We support ongoing efforts by local governments to pursue ways to improve the safety
and stability of residents in manufactured housing parks.
ORDINANCE NO.
AMENDING CITY OF DUBUQUE CODE OF ORDINANCES TITLE 14 BUILDING AND
DEVELOPMENT, CHAPTER 1 BUILDING CODES, ARTICLE J PROPERTY
MAINTENANCE CODE, SECTION 14.1J-3 RENTAL LICENSES
WHEREAS, the City Council has been presented with information and opinions
concerning the frequency of regular rental inspection; and
WHEREAS, the Dubuque City Council strives to promote and protect safe and
healthy housing conditions in our community; and
WHEREAS, the average frequency of regular rental inspections among Iowa's
cities is 3 years.
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DUBUQUE, IOWA:
. Title 14, Chapter 1, Article J, Section 3 of the City of Dubuque Code
of Ordinances is amended to read as follows:
M. Licensed Rental Units:
1. All rental units are subject to regular inspection conducted no less than every
three years for each rental property and follow up re -inspection as necessary.
SactlQn2. This Ordinance shall take effect on July 1st, 2025.
Passed, approved, and adopted this day of .2024.
Brad M. Cavanaugh, Mayor
Attest:
Adrienne Breiffelder, City Clerk