71-15,169.

Complaint process; city of the metropolitan class.

(1) A housing agency for a city of the metropolitan class shall establish a complaint process. Any resident of an agency property may file a complaint by any of the following means:

(a) A complaint form filled out online on the housing agency's website;

(b) A telephone call made to a housing agency; or

(c) A complaint form filled out in person. Such complaint form shall be made available at designated offices.

(2) The complaint form, whether completed by the complainant online, in-person, or by a housing agency employee answering a telephone call complaint, shall include the following information:

(a) The name of the complainant;

(b) Contact information including the telephone number, email address, and mailing address of the complainant;

(c) The nature of the complaint, including, but not limited to, whether a maintenance issue, a discrimination claim, or a rent dispute; and

(d) Relevant dates.

(3) Notice of the right to file a complaint up until the time of an eviction shall be included on both the online and printed complaint form.

(4) The complainant may provide any supporting documentation with the complaint, including, but not limited to, photographs or digital images, receipts, and correspondence.

(5) Upon receipt of the complaint, the agency shall send an acknowledgment to the complainant by email or regular first-class mail within five business days. Each complaint shall be assigned a unique case number for tracking purposes.

(6) The agency shall conduct a thorough investigation of the complaint, including, but not limited to, interviewing relevant parties, inspecting property and relevant documents, and reviewing applicable laws and regulations.

(7) The housing authority shall resolve the complaint within fourteen days after receipt of the complaint. If additional time is required, the complainant shall be notified and provided with an updated timeline. Throughout the investigation, the agency shall provide the complainant with regular updates on the status of the complaint by email, telephone, or regular first-class mail.

(8) The agency shall notify the complainant of the resolution of the complaint in writing within five business days after such resolution. The notice shall include (a) a summary of the investigation findings, (b) the action taken to address the complaint, (c) any remedies or compensation provided, (d) information on how to file a complaint with the political subdivision responsible for code enforcement, if applicable, and (e) information about the city's complaint process if the complainant is not satisfied with the resolution of the complaint.

(9) The agency shall invite the complainant to provide feedback on the complainant's experience with the complaint process, including suggestions for improvement.

(10) The agency shall monitor complaint trends, analyze root causes, and report on complaint resolution statistics regularly to identify areas for improvement. The agency shall submit a report to the commissioners at every board meeting detailing (a) the number of complaints filed, (b) the nature of such complaints, (c) the status of completed and pending inspections, and (d) the number of unfilled inspector positions within the housing agency. The report shall also be made available to the public on the agency's website and at the agency's office.

(11) The agency shall inform persons applying for housing about the complaint process during the resident application process and inform residents about the complaint process (a) annually, (b) at the time a complaint is filed, and (c) by posting on the agency's website and on any public boards in any common housing spaces.