TITLE
Recommendation to request City Attorney to draft an ordinance to regulate elevator repairs related to equipment failure. This ordinance should include verbiage that requires repairs due to equipment failure be completed within 7 days for residential and commercial buildings that house or serve seniors, people living with disabilities, and/or people with health conditions that make it difficult to navigate stairwells, and 14 days for all additional residential and commercial buildings;
Request City Manager, or designee, to report within 120 days:
a. A report of current elevator code enforcement procedures,
number of violations for elevator failures due to faulty
equipment, the initial number of days granted to repair and
any extensions granted.
b. Incentives for property owners with elevators to modernize
equipment.
c. Policy recommendations for hardship reimbursements to
disabled persons who spend money on medical and quality
of life services during the time an elevator is out of service.
DISCUSSION
The City of Long Beach is widely known for its diverse population of residents including people living with disabilities and our senior population yet they continue to be classified as some of the most underserved groups in the City of Long Beach. This is clearly the case when it comes to access to properly working elevators and the length of time allowed for elevators to be repaired. For example, a resident living with an ambulatory disability, was confined to their building for 73 days due to an elevator with on-going equipment failure. In addition to being stuck in their apartment, they had to pay out of pocket to hire additional caretakers for daily tasks and pay to have special transportation arranged with the Long Beach Fire Department when they had no choice but to leave their apartment for medical appointments.
According to the Housing Element passed in 2014, there are roughly 45,593 people living with disabilities in the City of Lo...
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