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Tuesday, December 5, 2023
Governor Moore Announces Program to Increase Homeownership Opportunities in Redlined Communities
Biennial Civil Rights & Fair Housing Gala Celebration
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Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Conference Assesses Positive Housing Opportunity Programs
"Connecting HUD-Assisted Renters to Opportunity"
A recent HUD report published in HUD User reports on the Bipartisan Policy Center's August, 2023 online event, “Investing in Opportunity: Rental Assistance and Neighborhoods of Choice,” featuring recent research from Opportunity Insights (OI) on the Seattle-based "Creating Moves to Opportunity" program along with a general discussion of the challenges and benefits for housing choice voucher (HCV) recipients moving to low-poverty, high-opportunity neighborhoods.
OI detailed recent research showing that children's upward economic mobility varies widely across neighborhoods nationwide. Studies have also shown that moving to higher-opportunity neighborhoods at younger ages can significantly improve outcomes later in life. Considerable research demonstrates that housing location affects essential outcomes, such as income and health, for residents, and that living in low-poverty neighborhoods with high-quality schools and low crime rates is associated with increased economic mobility and other positive effects. However, housing in these neighborhoods often is unaffordable for low-income families.
Low-income families trying to access housing in high-opportunity neighborhoods face two big challenges: (1) finding a home to rent - one-third of high-opportunity neighborhoods are "rental deserts," many with exclusively or primarily single-family homes - and (2) being able to afford the rent. The assistance of counselors or coaches can help, especially when they are members or representatives of the community.
For landlords, participation in the HCV program involves additional steps and paperwork, producing delays and uncertainty. Enterprise Community Partners urged policy changes to lower the regulatory burden for landlords to participate in the program and reduce the time to lease to a voucher holder.
Programs that provide housing vouchers and also ensure that the vouchers compete with market-rate rents, lower regulatory burdens for landlords, and provide additional financial supports can help low-income renters move to opportunity neighborhoods. Seattle's "Creating Moves to Opportunity" program and programs providing mobility-related services under HUD's Community Choice Demonstration are successful at increasing opportunity for HUD-assisted renters.
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HUD Releases Historical Analysis of Place-Based & Mobility Housing Programs
"Housing Programs and Racial Segregation: The Role of Place-Based and Mobility Programs"
by Peter J. Mateyka, Survey Statistician, Housing and Demographic Analysis Division, PD&R (2023-present).
HUD User has just released a detailed historical analysis on place-based and mobility housing programs regarding the goal of racially desegregating housing.
"Overcoming racial segregation in housing is part of the Fair Housing Act of 1968's Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) mandate. Over the past 50 years, the Office of Policy Development and Research's (PD&R's) work has expanded our understanding of the relationships between HUD's housing programs and racial segregation and how HUD can design housing programs that meet the AFFH mandate of overcoming segregation, promoting fair choice, and creating inclusive communities. The research and data on HUD programs and racial segregation that PD&R produces and disseminates highlight the department's successes, failures, and challenges in the pursuit of fair housing for all.
HUD’s housing programs include place-based programs and housing mobility programs, both of which take different approaches to connecting underserved households to quality housing. Place-based programs focus on community development through revitalizing distressed neighborhoods. Mobility programs provide subsidies to underserved households that allow them to move to high-opportunity neighborhoods with better employment and educational opportunities and lower crime rates. HUD’s proposed 2023 revisions to its AFFH rule incorporate both place-based and housing mobility approaches:
Affirmatively furthering fair housing can involve both bringing investments to improve the housing, infrastructure, and community assets in underserved communities as well as enabling families to seek greater opportunity by moving to areas of the community that already enjoy better community infrastructure and community assets.
This article reviews the history of PD&R's work on HUD's place-based and housing mobility initiatives and discusses how this work has enhanced our understanding of the relationship between housing policy and racial segregation and advanced the AFFH mandate's goal of reducing residential segregation.
Mobility programs provide subsidies to underserved households, allowing them to move to opportunity neighborhoods with better employment and educational chances, and lower crime."
The report concludes:
"PD&R’s work over the past 50 years has contributed to a better understanding of the relationship between housing programs and racial segregation, which has, in turn, helped HUD design place-based and housing mobility program designs that better adhere to its AFFH mandate to overcome segregation, promote fair choice, and create inclusive communities, However, declines in neighborhood racial segregation among all U.S. households have slowed in recent decades. Although recent HUD programs often have improved outcomes for neighborhoods and individuals, they have had mixed success at reducing racial segregation in public housing and increasing neighborhood integration for those receiving housing assistance. A promising development is HUD’s recent revisions to its AFFH mandate, which allows HUD to consider the role of race in the initial planning and design of housing programs. One of PD&R’s contributions to AFFH planning is supporting the development of a publicly released data tool that can help localities identify patterns of racial segregation and differences in neighborhood opportunity and incorporate this information into fair housing strategies."
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Monday, November 27, 2023
HOW TO REPORT HOUSING DISCRIMINATION WITH HUD
https://www.hud.gov/fairhousing/fileacomplaint
If you believe your rights may have been violated, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) encourages you to report housing discrimination. Because there are time limits on when an allegation can be filed with HUD after an alleged violation, you should report housing discrimination as soon as possible. When reporting housing discrimination, please provide as much information as possible, including:
- Your name and address.
- The name and address of the person(s) or organization your allegation is against.
- The address or other identification of the housing or program involved.
- A short description of the event(s) that cause you to believe your rights were violated.
- The date(s) of the alleged violation.
What is Housing Discrimination?
Discrimination under the Fair Housing Act (including housing that is privately owned and operated) is:
- Discrimination in renting or buying a home, getting a mortgage, seeking housing assistance, or engaging in other housing-related activities.
- Discrimination on the basis of: race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), familial status, disability).
You can Report Housing Discrimination with HUD
ONLINE in English (also available in Español, 中文, Tiếng Việt, 한국인, العربية, Русский, ខ្មែរ, and Soomaali).
BY PHONE. HUD speaks your language! Talk with a HUD intake specialist by calling: 1-800-669-9777. You can also call your regional FHEO office at the phone numbers on this list.
BY MAIL. You can print out this form (also available in Español, 繁體中文, Tiếng Việt, 한국인, عربي, Русский, ខ្មែរ, and Soomaali) and mail it to your regional HUD office at the address on this list.
Assistance for Persons with Disabilities
Assistance for Persons with Limited English Proficiency
Retaliation Is Illegal
It is illegal to retaliate against any person for making an allegation, testifying, assisting, or participating in any manner in a proceeding under HUD’s allegation process at any time, even after the investigation has been completed.
It is illegal to retaliate against any person because that person reported a discriminatory practice to a housing provider or other authority.
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) also makes it illegal for a public housing agency, owner, or manager of housing assisted under a VAWA covered housing program to retaliate against someone for seeking or exercising VAWA protections for themself or another. This includes protection for people who testify, assist, or participate in any VAWA matter on their own, or another’s, behalf.
If you believe you have experienced retaliation, you should report housing discrimination!
Types of Allegations Investigated
HUD investigates allegations, which may be one or both of the following:
(1) Discrimination under the Fair Housing Act.
Additional Resources
Learn About the Reporting Process
Get Help Before Reporting Housing Discrimination
Reporting in Languages Other than English
Housing Discrimination Under the Fair Housing Act
HUD Multifamily Housing Complaints
Housing Choice Voucher and Public Housing Complaints
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Source of Information: HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.
Free Religious Accommodations Training
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