Fiscal Note
The proposed resolution accepts the 2019 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Study and directs City staff to use these findings to inform housing strategies, policies and programs that can help address and eliminate these impediments. The findings and prioritized goals and strategies presented in the Analysis of Impediments study will serve as a foundation for the City’s next five-year (2020-2024) Consolidated Plan, due to HUD in November of 2019. No additional City appropriation is required.
Title
Accepting the 2019 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI) study
Body
BACKGROUND
The purpose of the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI) is to identify practices and conditions in the City that impede housing opportunities for residents because of their race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, or other "protected class" status. Fair housing impediments include direct discriminatory actions, omissions, or decisions related to membership in a protected class, or indirect actions, omissions, or decisions that have the effect of restricting housing choices for people specifically because of their protected class membership.
The City is required by the Fair Housing Act to "Affirmatively Further Fair Housing." The AI identifies fair housing choice constraints and offers planning strategies that can be incorporated into other community planning and development processes and decisions. This assessment is required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as a condition of receiving federal housing funds. It should be completed before the City creates its five-year "Consolidated Plan" that describes how those funds will be spent, so that the City can demonstrate that it understands the various direct and indirect impediments to fair housing choice and is actively working to eliminate discriminatory practices and disparate outcomes.
ACTION
WHEREAS, the City of Madison is designated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as an "entitlement" community and receives annual allocations of multiple sources of HUD funds, including Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Home Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), Public Housing Capital Funds (PHA) and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) funds; and,
WHEREAS, as a condition of receiving this funding, the City is required to periodically conduct an "Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice" (AI) to identify impediments and opportunities for the City to "affirmatively further fair housing" as required by the Federal Fair Housing Act (Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968); and,
WHEREAS, this Analysis of Impediments study has been completed and the results and suggested actions have been reviewed and recommended for acceptance by Community Development Division staff and the CDBG Committee; and,
WHEREAS, the Community Development Division has shared the results of the Analysis of Impediments study with key staff from interrelated City departments for use in ongoing and future collaborative efforts to address identified impediments and opportunities for the City to affirmatively further fair housing; and,
WHEREAS, the Community Development Division has also taken the Analysis of Impediments study results to key City Committees and Commissions for their review and consideration; and,
WHEREAS, the Community Development Division will work with both internal and external stakeholders in order to collaboratively prioritize and implement recommended actions to address identified impediments and opportunities for the City to advance affirmatively furthering fair housing goals; and,
WHEREAS, the findings, and prioritized goals and strategies presented in the Analysis of Impediments study will serve as a foundation for the City’s next 5-year (2020-2024) Consolidated Plan, due to HUD in November of 2019;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Common Council accepts the 2019 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice study; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council directs City staff to use these findings to inform housing strategies, policies and programs that can help address and eliminate these impediments.