Code Enforcement Training Guide

The Center for Community Progress developed this comprehensive training curriculum to support communities in shifting from traditional, punitive code enforcement to a strategic, compliance-based approach.

Housing and building code enforcement is one of local governments’ most important tools to protect public health and safety and stabilize and strengthen neighborhoods. However, our experience working with hundreds of diverse communities across the country has shown that the traditional approach to code enforcement is due for urgent review and reevaluation. A shift to strategic code compliance yields outcomes that are more equitable, effective, and efficient, especially in communities with high levels of vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated (VAD) properties. A compliance-based approach to code enforcement also supports broader community development goals like resiliency, housing security, neighborhood safety, and racial and economic justice.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to code enforcement training. Every community has different resources, capacity, infrastructure, and priorities dictating what their code enforcement teams need.

Many departments train inspectors in-house on basic technical skills and expertise, like recognizing violations, understanding construction requirements, and so on. This is often supplemented by trainings from national and state organizations like the American Association of Code Enforcement (AACE), and private and nonprofit entities. Very few departments however take a comprehensive approach to training code enforcement staff that focuses on why code enforcement is critical to achieve community health, safety, and stability, and how consistent across inspections and enforcement decisions can be achieved.

The curriculum is geared towards inspectors focused on inspecting and enforcing property maintenance and housing code violations who are working in mid-size to larger code enforcement departments. However, smaller code enforcement departments may also draw valuable lessons from this curriculum. While Community Progress provides these recommendations, we recognize that capacity constraints and ever-shifting priorities and processes will require code enforcement departments to prioritize their implementation. We encourage local governments to implement the training curriculum in close consultation with their attorneys.

The curriculum emphasizes voluntary compliance and consists of five modules:

• Establishing the Purpose of Code Compliance
• Technical Knowledge, Codes, and Processes
• Critical Skills Development: Problem-solving, Conflict Resolution, Equity, and More
• Coordinating with Internal Government Partners
• Coordinating with Other Public and Community Partners

Each module includes goals, frequency, audience, and other key information for impactful training.

Download the Curriculum »