Technical Assistance for Code Transformation Innovation Collaborative (TACTIC)

Project Funder: Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

Project Partners: City staff and community partners from Battle Creek, Bay City, Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, and Muskegon

Project Contact: David Jacobs, djacobs@nchh.org, 443.539.4167

Project Description: The Technical Assistance for Code Transformation and Innovation Collaborative (TACTIC) project works with local jurisdictions to enable the use of housing codes as a means for preventing childhood lead poisoning. NCHH created a series of city-specific recommendations that encompass the updating of code language, strengthening code enforcement staffing and practice, and ensuring community engagement in the policy making process. The project seeks to address childhood lead poisoning generally and target children living in rental units specifically.

From June 2018 to May 2020, the team analyzed code language and methods of code enforcement, engaging with city staff and community partners in six Michigan cities (Battle Creek, Bay City, Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, and Muskegon), where we discussed how the unique landscape of each city influenced the implementation of altered code enforcement and examined each city’s specific challenges, concerns, and opportunities for improvement.

Employing various methods, including the Code Comparison Tool, which measures local codes against the International Property Maintenance Code and the National Healthy Housing Standard (co-developed by NCHH and the American Public Health Association), NCHH compared the local housing codes to successful national models in order to determine the most appropriate strategy for each city to use code enforcement as a means to prevent childhood lead poisoning.

The TACTIC project represents a continuation of NCHH’s past work of achieving healthy housing through improved codes. The work could not have been completed without the full participation from city staff and community partners. In many cities, the project was able to take advantage of ongoing city initiatives or emerging opportunities.

Resources

City Reports for Year One:

Jacobs, D. E., & Goodwin, S. (2019, May 31). Technical Assistance for Code Transformation and Innovation Collaborative (the TACTIC Project) – Final Report for the City of Battle Creek, Michigan.

Jacobs, D. E., & Goodwin, S. (2019, May 31). Technical Assistance for Code Transformation and Innovation Collaborative (the TACTIC Project) – Final Report for the City of Detroit, Michigan.

Jacobs, D. E., & Goodwin, S. (2019, May 31). Technical Assistance for Code Transformation and Innovation Collaborative (the TACTIC Project) – Final Report for the City of Flint, Michigan.

Jacobs, D. E., & Goodwin, S. (2019, May 31). Technical Assistance for Code Transformation and Innovation Collaborative (the TACTIC Project) – Final Report for the City of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

City Reports for Year Two:

Jacobs, D. E., & Goodwin, S. (2020, May 31). Technical Assistance for Code Transformation and Innovation Collaborative (the TACTIC Project) – Final Report for the City of Bay City, Michigan.

Jacobs, D. E., & Plankey, A. (2020, May 31). Technical Assistance for Code Transformation and Innovation Collaborative (the TACTIC Project) – Final Report for the City of Muskegon, Michigan.

State Reports:

Jacobs, D. E., & Goodwin, S. (2019, May 31). Technical Assistance for Code Transformation and Innovation Collaborative (the TACTIC Project) – Final Report.

Jacobs, D. E., Goodwin, S., & Plankey, A. (2020, May 31). Technical Assistance for Code Transformation and Innovation Collaborative (the TACTIC Project) – Final Report for Year Two.

Supplemental Resources, Year Two: 

Goodwin, S., & Jacobs, D. E. (2020, May 31). Technical Assistance for Code Transformation and Innovation Collaborative (the TACTIC Project) – Implementation Guide.

Reddy, A. (2020, May 31). How to Make Proactive Rental Inspections Effective.

Blog: 

Goodwin, S., & Jacobs, D. E. (2019, October 21). Tactical Thinking: Housing Codes and Lead Poisoning Prevention.

Related

National Center for Healthy Housing & American Public Health Association. (2014, May 16). National Healthy Housing Standard. Columbia, MD: National Center for Healthy Housing.

NCHH’s Code Comparison Tool [url]