Revision of Directors Rules and Regulations for the Prevention and - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1

Revision of Director’s Rules and Regulations for the Prevention and Control of Bed Bugs May 15, 2012

2

Bed Bugs: Recent History

 Have accompanied human

civilization for centuries

 Endemic and prevalent in Asia,

Africa & Eastern Europe

 Reported in all 50 US states  Represent a violation of California

housing habitability standards and local public nuisance codes

 Resurgence in urban areas

potentially linked to changes in pest control practices, mobility, etc.

 Growth in demand for pest control

services

 High level of public and media

interest

3

2010 Code Enforcement

4

Health Impacts of Bed Bugs

 Allergic reaction to bites  Skin infection from bites  Sleeplessness  Anxiety  Depression  Feeling of helplessness / Lack of control  Barriers to social interactions

5

Bed Bug Bites/Welt

6

Problem Solving Approach

Prevention strategies and public awareness Resources for those most affected by bed bugs with least resources Clear regulatory expectations with effective enforcement

7

Improving Public Awareness

http://www.sfdph.org/dph/EH/Housing/BedBugs.asp

8

DPH Regulatory Milestones

 Enforcement of public nuisance standards

in response to complaints; routine inspections of limited shelters and SROs

 2003: Developed Bed bug Management

Protocol for all Shelter Directors

 2006: Issued first Director’s Rules and

Regulations for Bed Bug Control

 2010: Bedbugs explicitly named as a

health nuisance

 2011: Began stakeholder process for

updating rules and regulations

9

Internal Review of Regulation

 Review of regulatory practices in other

cities

 Review of pest control industry best

management practices

 Review of DPH enforcement case records  Input of experienced inspectors/ managers  City Attorney review  Draft revised rules and regulations for

public hearing (March 2012)

10

Outreach Process

 Stakeholder workshops (PCOs, tenants,

landlords, apartment and hotel managers)

 Presentations of proposed revision to:

 Bed Bug Working Group  SRO Task Force  Professional Property Management Association

 Public Hearing on proposed revision

 Spoken comments (47)  Written comments (14)

 Health Commission meets re. final revision

11

Substantive Changes

 Prevention steps further defined: training,

written plan, monitoring, encasements, educational info provided to tenants

 DPH templates and resources provided,

e.g. Complaint Response Log

 Inspection and treatment explicitly limited

to licensed PCOs

 PCOs held accountable to best practices or

subject to NOV

 Complaint closure six week monitoring

defined

12

Outcomes of Outreach Process

 Expertise from multiple perspectives  Stakeholder engagement; new partners

for bed bug control

 New focus on the need to ensure PCO best

practices

13

Community Resource Requests

 Significant investment in public, tenant and

manager education.

 Greater code enforcement resources, particularly

proactive inspection of all SRO units, not just master lease or family-occupied.

 More resources for the reasonable

accommodation (e.g., laundry subsidy needs and anti-cluttering help for the incapacitated and low- income population most affected by bed bugs).

14

Next Steps

 Department adopts revisions  Community education and awareness  Stakeholder-specific training workshops  Enhanced website and educational

resources (e.g. video, online tutorial)

 1: 1 support for monitoring and control

plans in higher risk environments

 Consider additional resources for

education and resources for proactive unit-by-unit inspections in all SROs