Conduct Public Hearing and Approve the Goals Identified in the City's 2018-2023 Assessment of Fair Housing for Submission to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and Authorize the City Manager to Certify that the City will Take Meaningful Actions to Further the Goals (ALL COUNCIL DISTRICTS)

It is recommended that the City Council:

1. Conduct a public hearing to allow citizen input and consideration of the City's 2018-2023 Assessment of Fair Housing;

2. Approve the goals identified in the City's 2018-2023 Assessment of Fair Housing for submission to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development; and

3. Authorize the City Manager to certify that the City will take meaningful actions to further the goals identified in the Assessment of Fair Housing.

In 2015 the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a new Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule. All participating jurisdictions are required by the AFFH rule to submit an Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH) to HUD as a precondition for receipt of HUD grant funding for the Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnerships Program, Emergency Solutions Grant, and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Program. The City's AFH is due to HUD on January 1, 2018 and lays a foundation for the City's Consolidated Plan which must be presented to HUD in August 2018.

The AFH focuses on increasing access to opportunity for disadvantaged City populations. It must be prepared with broad community input using a standard nation-wide format and extensive HUD data. Citizen input for the City's AFH included focus groups of subject matter experts, over 1,600 responses to an online survey, nine community meetings, consultation with neighboring jurisdictions and with Fort Worth Housing Solutions (FWHS) as well as many other stakeholders. A public comment period on the AFH is being held from November 9 through December 8. The AFFH rule requires that the City certify that it will take meaningful actions to further the goals identified in its AFH.

The AFH sets out the following goals and strategies:

• Continue programs to preserve affordable housing stock for both renters and owners, and develop affordable housing through partnerships with FWHS and other developers or organizations;
• Expand HUD grant funded accessibility efforts to improve services for persons with disabilities;
• Continue neighborhood revitalization efforts, particularly in racially or ethnically concentrated areas of poverty; and
• Expand education and outreach regarding multifamily housing to increase community and property owners/managers' understanding of Fair Housing laws, increase the number of landlords that accept Housing Choice Vouchers, and reduce community opposition to affordable housing development.

The above listed issues were selected as priorities because community input identified them as concerns and data analysis indicates that they may be imposing more significant barriers to access to opportunity than other issues. In addition, it will be feasible for the Neighborhood Services Department to undertake specific measurable activities to address these issues.

This assessment covers ALL COUNCIL DISTRICTS.

This M&C does not request approval of a contract with a business entity.