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Hartford creates one-stop-shop for tenant complaints

City leaders want to make it easier for tenants to submit complaints about problems in their buildings.

HARTFORD, Conn. — The Hartford mayor’s office is continuing to shine a light on housing issues

City leaders want to make it easier for tenants to submit complaints about problems in their buildings. 

“Neighbors without heat,” explained Kelsey Bannon, an attorney with the Greater Hartford Legal Aid. “Families that can't store food in the house because of rodents and insects.” 

Housing quality is a major issue in the city of Hartford

“Roofs that leak lead to problems within the building electrical mold and other things,” Judith Rothschild, director of licensing & inspections for Hartford said. “Pest infestation is a problem. Pest infestation treatment is necessary in a lot of our buildings.” 

Hartford is creating a “Liaison For Housing” at City Hall, to be one, streamlined place where all housing-related complaints can go.

“We want to give tenants the resources they need to understand their rights, to understand what their avenues are,” Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said.

He added this concept was born from tenants and activists speaking up. 

“We are addressing blight, we are addressing criminal activity and now it's time to to directly address those landlords who do not keep their properties in the proper way,” said Rothschild.

She will serve as the Liaison For Housing, with all tenant complaints now going to one place.  

Arulampalam says the city is compensating Rothschild for the extra duties, as well as bringing over support staff to assist.

“We have our housing division, our blight division or public health, all working on various types of housing complaints, and so we wanted to create one line of triage of those complaints and make sure they get to the appropriate places, but also to make sure that residents in really difficult conditions are being heard that their needs are being met that we are being as responsive as we can as a city.” 

The city also allocated $750,000 to the Greater Hartford Legal Aid to support free legal assistance for tenants. 

“When a tenant is in the throes of a major health or safety concern in the apartment is understandable that they may feel lost what is my best first step? Our office is an important resource to that family. It is better, if possible, to talk to an attorney early in the process. Advice, tenants rights or procedure we are here,” continued Bannon.

Arulampalam says the city will be tracking how many complaints the Housing Liaison’s office is getting and will determine during this budget cycle if more resources are needed. 

You can reach the office Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm at (860) 757-9311, or on holidays and weekends at (860) 757-4000.

RELATED: 'If you do not shape up it’s time to ship out': Hartford task force to identify non-compliant landlords

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Emma Wulfhorst is a political reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at ewulfhorst@fox61.com. Follow her on FacebookX and Instagram.

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