TITLE
Recommendation to approve the City’s Assessment of Fair Housing
or the period of October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2022, in accordance with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Final Rule, 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.
• 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 over the past five months was successful in obtaining a diverse range of input. City staff conducted approximately 32 individual outreach efforts to obtain input on fair housing issues and concerns, including community workshops, a community resource fair, neighborhood group meetings, focus group, and stakeholder interviews. In addition, the City conducted door-to-door outreach prior to the community workshops to distribute the survey and outreach information. The Fair Housing Survey was published online in multiple languages and made available at the 32 outreach events. Multiple forms of online media sources were also utilized to expand outreach, including Twitter, Facebook, Nextdoor, LinkLB, and various webpages.
Based on this input and community feedback, the draft AFH was prepared. 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 22, 2016.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action to approve the City’s AFH 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.
Respectfully Submitted,
AMY J. BODEK, AICP
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
APPROVED:
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER