Eau Claire Health Department Begins Annual Housing Survey

Officials from the Eau Claire City-County Health Department officially kicked off their annual housing survey this month.

According to a press release, the annual Residential Environmental Quality Assessment housing survey aims to track the environmental quality of residential neighborhoods throughout the City. The Eau Claire City-County Health Department evaluates every property in the City once every five years, covering one of five neighborhood groupings each year. This year’s housing survey will focus on the Randall Park, Buffington, Upper West Side, and Westridge neighborhoods.

The results of the annual surveys are used to identify areas of Eau Claire with urgent health and safety concerns, and direct future policy decisions to address them. Housing has become a significant area of focus in Eau Claire over recent years, with rising construction prices and a low vacancy rate making it difficult to address the need for more affordable housing. In addition to exploring ways to increase the City’s housing stock, ensuring its current housing stock is free of those health and safety concerns is also critical.

During the survey period, Health Department officials will walk through the target neighborhoods block by block and inspect homes from public right of way areas. They’ll examine the exterior conditions of homes, including fences, retaining walls, roofs, and chimneys for signs of potential issues. If they do determine that a home needs a closer look, the Health Department will also mail a letter to the homeowner to set a date for a full inspection.

The housing survey period will run through July 31. More information on the City Housing Inspection Program is available on the Eau Claire City-County Health Department website.