City Welcomes New Fair Housing Regulation

City Welcomes New Fair Housing Regulation

Release Date:  Friday, July 10, 2015

Contact:  Catherine Crosby, Executive Director, Dayton Human Relations Council, 937-333-1403

Mayor Nan Whaley and City officials today welcomed an important new fair housing regulation aimed at promoting diverse, inclusive communities and overcoming the negative effects of segregation.

The “AFFH” regulation, issued by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is designed to guide jurisdictions in complying with existing obligations to affirmatively further fair housing, a key provision of the 1968 Fair Housing Act.

The new regulation further commits HUD to greater engagement and better guidance for the City to achieve more meaningful outcomes through its obligation to affirmatively further fair housing as a result of accepting HUD funding.

HUD, for the first time, will provide substantial data on housing, demographics and other local conditions for state and local policymakers to assess in determining, among other things, the degree of segregation, concentrated poverty and barriers to equal housing opportunity in communities.

The City of Dayton, through the Human Relations Council, has enforced the Fair Housing Act and local fair housing laws through substantial equivalency with HUD. Not only does the Act prohibit discrimination but, in conjunction with regulations such as the AFFH, takes steps to proactively overcome historic patterns of segregation, promote fair housing choice and foster inclusive communities for all.

“It is no secret that the City of Dayton faces challenges related to racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty. The new rule provides access to data and other resources that can be used to reduce concentrated poverty that leads to sustained exposure to highly distressed communities. As we seek to create a City of Learners, reduction in concentrated poverty and access to asset-rich neighborhoods increases high school graduation rates and improves math and reading rates,” said Mayor Whaley.

Catherine Crosby, Executive Director of the Human Relations Council, said, “Many communities, including Dayton, learned from the Ferguson and Baltimore incidents and recognize that concentrated poverty leads to frustration due to the lack of opportunities and access to community assets. The new rule sets the expectation for how communities should strategize to expand access to opportunities for inclusive communities.”

“The City of Dayton is a welcoming community that is accepting of the differences of all who live, work, play and gather here,” Mayor Whaley added. “The civil rights successes over the last few weeks coupled with the new fair housing regulation provide us with the legal foundation to ensure all people feel they have opportunity here regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, familial status, or disability.”

The City of Dayton Human Relations Council was established in 1962 by the Dayton City Commission. The mission of the Council is to promote and ensure a culture of fair treatment and equal access to opportunities for all who live, work, play, and gather in the City of Dayton.