TITLE
Recommendation to approve City’s Assessment of Fair Housing for the period of October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2022 and authorize City Manager, or designee, to take actions to further the goals identified in the Assessment of Fair Housing. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
On July 16, 2015, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published its Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Final Rule, which jurisdictions receiving HUD funds must follow to implement the Fair Housing Act of 1968. The Fair Housing Act not only makes it unlawful for jurisdictions to discriminate, it also requires jurisdictions to take actions to: undo patterns of segregation and other types of housing discrimination; promote fair housing choice; and, foster inclusive communities. The protected classes of the Fair Housing Act include race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and familial status.
HUD’s Final Rule establishes a process to analyze the local fair housing landscape, and set fair housing priorities and goals for jurisdictions through an Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH) (Exhibit A). The AFH is designed to identify fair housing issues, determine the factors that significantly contribute to identified issues, and set the City’s fair housing goals to overcome them. The fair housing planning process in the AFFH Rule outlines the content HUD funding recipients must include in their AFH. The AFH includes an analysis of the following fair housing issues:
• Integration and segregation patterns and trends based on race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability;
• Racially or ethnically concentrated areas of poverty (R/ECAPs);
• Significant disparities in access to opportunity for any protected class;
• Disproportionate housing needs for any protected class; and,
• Fair housing issues related to publicly supported housing; disability and access; and, fair housing enforcement, outreach capacity, and resources.
The AFH was conducted by the Department of Development Services, the City’s grantee department, in collaboration with the Housing Authority of the City of Long Beach, which receives Housing Choice Vouchers from HUD. In conducting the AFH, through community input and the analysis of HUD-provided and local data, fair housing issues affecting access to housing were identified, as were the leading factors contributing to these issues. Furthermore, goals and milestones have been developed to address each fair housing issue and related contributing factors as shown, in summary format, in Exhibit B.
The City’s extensive community participation process was successful in obtaining a diverse range of input. City staff conducted five community workshops in R/ECAPs, attended 11 neighborhood group meetings and interviewed 16 stakeholders one-on-one to obtain input on fair housing issues and concerns. A combined total of 382 participants attended workshops, neighborhood and stakeholder meetings. In addition, the City conducted door-to-door outreach prior to the five community workshops to distribute the survey and outreach information (1,500 total flyers). The Fair Housing Survey was completed by 261 participants and the City received over 80 unique comments about specific fair housing needs and suggestions to improve housing accessibility and affordability in Long Beach. Multiple forms of online media sources were also utilized to expand outreach, including Twitter (1,529 followers), Facebook (4,262 Members), Nextdoor (18,527 Subscribers), LinkLB (1,148 subscribers), and various webpages.
The draft AFH was available for public review for 45 days, and a community workshop was conducted to review the draft and to receive public input. On November 30, 2016, a public hearing was conducted by the Long Beach Community Investment Company (LBCIC) to solicit public comment on the AFH. Notices regarding the public hearing and the availability of the draft AFH were posted on the City’s website 45 days prior to conducting the public hearing. Advertisements were published in the Long Beach Press-Telegram, Impacto USA, and the Khmer Post announcing the availability of the draft AFH and details of the public hearing. In addition, several hundred stakeholders received an email notice about the public hearing and the availability of the draft AFH for review and comment. At the conclusion of the public hearing, the LBCIC recommended City Council approval of the draft AFH.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Richard F. Anthony on November 16, 2016 and by Budget Management Officer Rhutu Amin Gharib on November 23, 2016.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
Housing Authority Commission action to approve the Assessment of Fair Housing is requested on December 13, 2016, to meet HUD’s prescribed deadline. HUD requires that the AFH be completed and submitted 270 days before the City’s next Five-Year Consolidated Plan is due. Based on the City’s upcoming Consolidated Plan cycle, the City’s AFH is due to HUD by January 4, 2017.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal or local job impact associated with this recommendation.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
BODY
[Enter Body Here]
Respectfully Submitted,
KELLY COLOPY
ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
APPROVED:
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER