The housing inspector in Lakewood says overcrowded rental properties are so common in the township that only state and federal help can reduce the problem.

According to Housing Inspector Eddie Aroujo, the law limits how many people can live in a home. He adds that basement apartments are illegal in Lakewood for safety reasons. Aroujo says the housing issue known as stacking is also a fire hazard. The owner of a home on North Oakland Street, where at least 12 people live, says if stacking is going on it is being done behind his back.

Aroujo says more than 360 homes in Lakewood have been inspected during the last year. Of the 360, four were boarded up and dozens of summonses were issued for crowding and code violations.

Related Information: Random inspections force Lakewood tenants out of overcrowded homes