May 2002 Owners Update
TMHA’s Lead-Based Paint Safe Work Practices Training
a Success
TMHA collaborated with the Tuscarawas Bd. of Realtors to
sponsor a HUD training on March 22 for over 100 participants.
The training focused on the LBP problem in pre-1978 housing,
and how LBP affects both residents and workers. Participants
learned how to contain a work area and work smart,
work wet, and work clean to stabilize lead-based paint. A
number of TMHA
Section 8 program owners attended, as well as realtors, contractors,
and
maintenance workers from all over Ohio.
Participants received a certificate of completion certifying
that they have learned safe work practices to repair paint
in HUD-assisted housing. Additionally, realtors received 8
hours of continuing education credit from the State of Ohio
Bd. of Realtors.
Because of the large number of participants, the group was
split into two trainings. HUD-certified trainers were John
Zilka, of QuanTech Quantitative Technologies of Virginia and
Joseph Deorio of the Mahoning Co. Dept. of Health Lead Hazard
Program of Youngstown.
This training was offered free to participants because HUD
financially sponsored the training in order to help the housing
industry understand and implement the new LBP rule. It is
not known at this time if more funding will be forthcoming
for future trainings. If such funding does become available,
TMHA is committed to offering more training to help our program
owners understand this issue.
The Tuscarawas Bd. of Realtors and TMHA wish to thank our
local Hampton Inn and Days Inn for local arrangements and
for their help in setting up the additional training site
to handle the overflow crowd.
Landlord Tip of The Month
The quotidian crisis is mold. It will probably be the favored
habitability defense for 2002, and there are emerging stories
about lawsuits arising out of its presence in housing units
sold or rented to unsuspecting victims. The ugly truth about
mold is that we humans cultivate it through incompetent use
of the housing unit, ineffective clean-up methods, and neglected
maintenance.
Mold almost always appears due to poor ventilation. Stagnant,
moisture-filled air will tend to precipitate water as it cools,
depositing the water on walls, giving the mold that naturally
exists in the air an ideal place to land and make a living.
Tenants need to be counseled to keep their rental units well
ventilated. This will eliminate practically all of your mold
problems. Where mold already exists, washing it with soap
and water may remove what you can see, but it will not remove
the problem. To do that, you need to kill the mold. The best
and safest way to kill mold is with chlorine bleach. Mix a
solution of about one part bleach, 10 parts water, and a little
soap. (Never mix chlorine bleach with anything that has ammonia
in it.) If you use this for cleaning, the mold will die.
Finally, tend to maintenance. If you still have a mold problem
after ensuring proper ventilation and a thorough cleaning,
then something is wrong. There may be a leaky pipe, a faulty
dehumidifier, or some other repairable source of moisture
that is providing the mold a comfortable home. Occasionally,
the design of the structure, or its location, may make mold
infestations inevitable. If the simple measures do not work,
there are things that can be done to resolve the problem.
Consult a professional. All of this is definitely your department,
and present attitudes toward the existence of mold demand
that you no longer treat it as a minor inconvenience. Source:
www.landlord.com
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