What is the health status of our neighborhood structures around the City? Each day, a half dozen outreach coordinators hit the streets to gather information about the condition of every house in every neighborhood in the City of Des Moines. The ambitious initiative is called the Property Condition Survey, and with more than 50 neighborhoods and 96,000 houses, it’s a monumental task – but an important one.
SuAnn Donovan, the City’s deputy director of Neighborhood Services, said it only takes a couple of minutes for outreach coordinators to complete each survey. She said the information gathered will be beneficial for city planning and neighborhood improvement efforts.
"From vacant properties to new construction, this will provide us the first citywide condition report of every house in Des Moines ranked on a scale of 1-5" Donovan said. "From the Property Condition Survey, we can identify specific repairs needed for some homes and where assistance might be needed."
Coordinators are trained to look at specific categories for the exterior of properties, with a focus on safety conditions. Below is a list of elements the City is focusing on:
- Condition of Roofs
- Condition of Siding
- Condition of Windows
- Condition of Fences and Gates
- Condition of Porches and Balconies
- Condition of Foundations
Donovan says the survey began in the spring and is about one-third complete. She expects the condition report to be wrapped up later this year.
"In a few months, we'll have a great baseline of information on the health of our neighborhoods - which streets or areas are making progress and where some attention needs to be directed," Donovan said.
Original source can be found here.
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