The City’s Assistant Director for Housing served as the
co-convener of the Housing Action Group of the Racism Study Circles. The
City has set the following fair housing goals for the next year:
· Modernize the City’s fair housing ordinances and make them
substantially equivalent with federal fair housing law. · Expand local fair
housing enforcement capacity. · Maintain and augment local fair housing
education and outreach capacity.
As with previous applications for federal funding, the City provided
certification this year that the grant application submitted to the U.S.
Department of Housing & Urban Development by the Champlain Valley Office of
Economic Opportunity is consistent with the City’s Consolidated Plan.
The Community & Economic Development Office actively encourages
affirmative marketing of HOME-funded units. Recipients of HOME funds must
try to provide information to and otherwise attract eligible persons from
all racial, ethnic and gender groups in the housing market area. All
correspondence, notices and advertisements related to HOME funds must
contain either the Equal Housing Opportunity logotype or slogan.
Participants in the HOME program are required to use affirmative fair
housing marketing practices in soliciting renters or buyers, determining
their eligibility, and concluding all transactions. In addition, owners of
HOME-assisted housing must comply with the following procedures:
· Any advertising of vacant units must include the equal housing
opportunity logo or statement. Advertising media may include newspapers,
radio, television, brochures, leaflets or be simply a sign in a window; ·
Outreach is expected to community organizations, employment centers, housing
agencies, social service agencies, medical centers, schools and
municipalities; · Owners must maintain a file containing a record of all
marketing efforts, e.g., copies of newspaper ads, copies of letters, etc.
