Pubdate: Thu, 30 Oct 2014
Source: Republican & Herald (PA)
Copyright: 2014 Pottsville Republican, Inc
Contact:  http://republicanherald.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1047
Page: 10

RESTRICTIONS ON RENTING MAY BE TOOL IN DRUG WAR

Berwick has done it. So has Sunbury.

Two communities in neighboring counties that have been ravaged by 
drug abuse took the bold step of enacting an ordinance that banned 
landlords from renting to anyone who had been convicted of a felony 
drug offense. Mount Carmel could vote on a similar ordinance as soon 
as Nov. 20.

The impact of drug abuse is felt on communities every day, including 
those in Schuylkill County. Because of it, we drug-test in schools, 
we drug-test in work places. Like the proposed ordinance, such 
procedures push the boundaries of constitutionality, and yet many 
leaders, see little choice.

The toss-up is between allowing drugs to continue to drag down the 
community (homicides, suicides, assaults, petty crime, poor health, 
increased human services, increased police and emergency costs and 
more) and pushing the boundaries of constitutional rights in 
regulating who can rent a home or apartment.

While the federal Fair Housing Act prohibits landlords and real 
estate agents from discriminating against potential tenants based on 
several factors, including race, religion and disability, with drug 
addiction considered a disability, the statute does not offer 
discrimination protection to, among others, persons convicted of 
illegal manufacture or distribution of a controlled substance. Also, 
Berwick's ordinance was upheld on appeal in state court.

A logical question has arisen, of course: Do such ordinances merely 
push convicted drug felons to other communities? With that in mind, 
perhaps a regional discussion of this ordinance is in order. As has 
been proven with blight, gathering a larger group of leaders and 
experts produces more effective results on a larger scale. Local law 
enforcement and the Schuylkill County Drug Task Force could lead 
organization of such an effort.

Rather than merely pushing drug dealers from one local town to the 
next, a coordinated effort could push them out of the area all together.

Rental restrictions won't end the war on drugs; nothing has come 
close, yet, to a solution. But it would give local communities one 
extra tool in combating the problem.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom