1. Understand the Basics of Housing Codes
Describe the evolution of housing codes.
Identify two interior and two exterior housing problems that are common today.
Click to reveal each objective for Module 2. Briefly discuss each.
Identify two ways an inspection is initiated and two inspection approaches.

2. What is the Main Purpose of…
How did…
How have…
Housing Codes
Evolved
Originate
EXPLAIN:
In this lesson, we’re going to answer three basic questions related to housing codes.
Click to reveal each of the three questions. Briefly discuss but do not answer questions. Just get students thinking.
ASK:
Why do we (as a society) even have building codes and minimum housing codes? Where did codes originate and when? How have codes evolved over time? What is the main reason for these codes and has this focus changed over time?

3. How Did Codes Originate?
Code of Hammurabi 1700 BC
Code 233. If a builder builds a house for someone, even though he has not yet completed it, if the walls seem toppling, the builder must make the wall solid from his own means.
Code 229. If a builder builds a house for someone and does not construct it properly, and the house which he built falls in and kills its owner, then that builder shall
be put to death.
Explain:
The oldest recorded form of housing code(s) or standard(s) are found in the Code of Hammurabi. Hammurabi was the 6th King of Babylon and he set forth a “law code” for the Babylonians around 1700 BC. In the code of Hammurabi were 2 codes referencing construction requirements for housing.
Code If a builder builds a house for someone, and does not construct it properly, and the house that he built falls in and kills its owner, then that builder shall be put to death.
Click to reveal second code.
Code If a builder builds a house for someone, even though he has not yet completed it, if the walls seem toppling, the builder must make the wall solid from his owns means.
This early work sets forth the requirements for human safety in homes and establishes who is responsible for the occupants’ safety.

4. Evolution of Housing Codes
Chicago Fire of 1871
Resulted in rewritten and strengthened fire and building codes.
Explain:
In America codes have been written and strengthened over time, usually as a result of an event that caused injury or death to others. For example, the great Chicago Fire of 1871, resulted in rewritten and strengthened fire and building codes. Again the main focus was to protect the health and lives of the public.
Historically, the purpose for all codes has always been Public Health, Safety and Life. Energy Efficiency is now included as well.
This course will provide the reason and proof that structures with minimum housing code violations can and will impact the public’s health.

5. Guiding Principle of Codes
To ensure public health, and safety
with regard to occupancy of structures.
How does this tie into the concept of healthy housing?
Briefly discuss the guiding principle of housing codes.
Click to reveal the follow-up question to the Guiding Principles slide.
DISCUSS:
Engage students by getting them to tie the guiding principle of code enforcement back to the definition of healthy housing.

6. What is the Main Purpose of…
Housing Codes
HEALTH and SAFETY
DISCUSS:
Allow students to share their thoughts. Students may give complicated or detailed answers, but guide them towards identifying the essential purpose of codes.
Click to reveal the answer: Health and Safety.
EXPLAIN:
We need the codes because unfortunately not all homes are healthy and safe. So what might an unhealthy home look like?

7. American Housing Survey www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/ahs/ahs.html
Conducted:
Every two years since the 1980s
Periodically for 46 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA)
Consistent set of homes
Phone survey since 1997
Briefly discuss the American Housing Survey.
The Census bureau collects AHS data for all large metro areas. So if the code inspectors are in a large jurisdiction for which local AHS data is available (e.g. the NY City metropolitan area), they can compare the prevalence of housing problems between their jurisdiction and nationally. However, if the inspectors are in a less densely populated area they can only look at national data.
The take away message here is that some healthy homes problems are simply a more common problem than others.
If the local AHS data is available, the code inspectors can see how it matches up with the top 5-10 code violations (next exercise). Have a copy of the most current AHS for them to look through on a break, you don’t have to provide a copy to each student. They will have the information if they want to visit the website and print it out for themselves.

8. What are the Top Code Violations in Your Area?
NOTE: Instructor is responsible for collecting information for the top 5 code violations in the city where training is taking place, if available. She/he can also ask the host organization for the information.
IF POSSIBLE, given class size and time constraints, split the class into groups of 3 to 5, depending on the size of the group. Give each group 5 small index cards, and ask them to write down what they believe to be the top five code violations in their area.
Next, have pairs of groups join together, so you now have half the number of groups, and each group is twice as big. These new larger groups must then agree on a new set of top five violations from their combined lists.
Bring the whole class back together, and have a representative from each group share its list, compiling a master list for the whole class to see.
If this is not possible due to class size or time constraints, have a large group discussion on the topic.
DISCUSS:
Were there a few obvious answers?
Was there quick consensus, or were there some disagreements?
Depending on the nature of the code violation, the occupant or owner may be responsible.
If you are called due to an issue on the outside of the home, is the code inspector able to perform an interior inspection? If not, would the top 5 violations be the same because of your accessibility to the interior of the home?
Use what you know about the local code violations to guide the discussion. If the local AHS data is available, the code inspectors can see how it matches up with the top 5-10 code violations identified in this exercise.

9. Non-working smoke alarm Structural problems Water leaks
High radon levels
Lead-based paint
Non-working smoke alarm
Structural problems
Water leaks
Encourage students to close their manuals and see if they can match the hazards in the box with the figures in the slide.
Click to reveal the answers as you discuss the statistics.
Explain:
According to the CDC, 1 in 16 homes have high radon levels; 1 in 10 homes have water leaks; 1 in 6 have structural problems; 1 in 4 have lead-based paint and 1 in 4 have a non-working smoke alarm.
Think about the connections you just saw when we discussed the holistic approach and how they all relate back to one hazard. The things we identified in the examples are basically your core healthy home principles.
Think about the conditions or behaviors that may lead to these hazards in homes. Taking a proactive, holistic approach will allow the code enforcement officer to act on certain issues as soon as possible, eliminating other hazards from occurring in the first place. Which leads to the discussion of the core principles to healthy housing, keeping the home dry, clean, ventilated, pest-free, safe, contaminant-free, and maintained.

10. Exterior Physical Condition
Occupied housing units, 2011 American Housing Survey
18%
One or More Exterior Problem
Exterior condition
% among total
# of units
Foundation crumbling/crack/hole
5.4%
Broken windows
4.2%
Missing roofing material
3.6%
Missing outside wall material
2.5%
Sagging roof
2.0%
Hole in roof
1.5%
Sloping outside walls
1.2%
Boarded up windows
1.0%
NOTE: If you can get local data, you can always use that; if not, the national data would be used.
Briefly discuss data.
Note that this data excludes multi-unit housing (so you have to subtract those homes from the denominator) and that since conditions are not mutually exclusive (e.g., one can have both broken windows and missing roofing material), the numbers in the table do not sum to 100%.
Note that this excludes multi-unit housing and since conditions are not mutually exclusive (e.g., one can have both broken windows and missing roofing material), the numbers in the table do not sum to 100%.

11. Complaint-driven inspections Routine inspections
The Call to Action
Complaint-driven inspections
Routine inspections
DISCUSS:
What usually drives the inspection process in your organization. What gets the inspection ball rolling?
Allow students to share their thoughts.
Click to reveal the two ways.

12. Two Approaches to Code Inspection
Single Issue
Holistic Approach
DISCUSS:
Is the focus always the same for every inspection? Is the scope of the inspection always the same?
Allow students to share their thoughts, but try to get them to identify the two approaches.
Click one at a time to reveal the two approaches, discussing each approach briefly.
Local code violations - are they issue driven or holistic in nature?
Can you look at more than the issue you are called for?
If you are called due to an issue on the outside of the home, is the code inspector able to perform an interior inspection?
If not, would the top 5 violations be the same because of your accessibility to the interior of the home?

13. Can You…
…briefly describe the evolution and purpose of housing codes?
HEALTH
AND
SAFETY
Encourage students to think back to the Code of Hammurabi.
Give them time to discuss. For the purpose, encourage them to name the two key words: health and safety.
Click to reveal the answers.

14. Can You… …name two interior housing problems that are common today?
High radon levels
Water leaks
Structural problems
Lead-based paint
Non-working smoke alarm
Encourage students to think back to the “quiz” they took at the beginning of this lesson (Unhealthy Homes slide). Give them time to discuss, and write students’ answers on a flip chart.
Click to reveal the answers.

15. Can You… …name two exterior housing problems that are common today?
Crumbling foundation
Broken windows
Missing roofing material
Missing exterior wall material
Sagging roof
Hole in roof
Sloping outside walls
Boarded up windows
Encourage students to think back to the table that listed exteriors problems found in occupied housing units in 2011 (Exterior Physical Condition slide).
Give them time to discuss, and write students’ answers on a flip chart.
Click to reveal the answers.