Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing

1. Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing

2. “The Georgia Department of Community Affairs is committed to providing all persons with equal access to its services, programs, activities, education and employment regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, disability or age.”

3. What Has DCA Done to Enhance AFFH Efforts? • FHEO Audit • Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing • Develop Department-wide Effective Communication Policy • Outlines DCA’s policies to ensure equal access to programs for: • Persons who are disabled • Provide Reasonable Accommodations • Appoint 504/ADA Coordinator • Complete “Self-Assessment”

4. What Has DCA Done to Enhance AFFH Efforts? Develop Department-wide Effective Communication Policy (Cont.) • Outlined DCA’s policies to ensure equal access to programs for: • Persons who are disabled • Provide alternate formats (where feasible) • Enhance Outreach Efforts • Develop Grievance procedures (internal and external)

5. What Has DCA Done to Enhance AFFH Efforts? Develop Department-wide Effective Communication Policy (Cont.) • Limited English Proficient (LEP) persons • Develop a Language Access Plan (LAP) • Complete analysis to identify who may need assistance • 18 Georgia counties meet the DOJ threshold of 5% of population who speaks a language at home other than English as their primary language and speak English “not well” or “not at all” (Spanish).

6. What Has DCA Done to Enhance AFFH Efforts? Develop Department-wide Effective Communication Policy (Cont.) • Limited English Proficient (LEP) persons • Require that grantees in those 18 counties provide outreach and public notices in Spanish as well as English (See Special Conditions)

7. What Has DCA Done to Enhance AFFH Efforts? Local AFFH Efforts

8. Applicability • Infrastructure improvements • Public Facilities • Neighborhood Revitalization • Economic Development • Down-Payment Assistance • Section 8 Rental Assistance • Any activity receiving federal funds

9. Applicable Categories • Race • Color • National origin • Religion • Gender • Familial Status • Disability Status • Age • Any other protected categories of persons

10. Applicable Laws and Regulations • Several Federal laws protect individuals from discrimination and apply to CDBG funded activities. These include: • Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. • Section 109 of the HCD Act of 1974, Title I - Prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, religion, and sex within Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs or activities.

11. Applicable Laws and Regulations • Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (Fair Housing Act) prohibits discrimination in housing-related transactions on the above basis as well as familial status and disability. • Section 104(b)(2) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 – requires that each grantee certify that the grant will be administered in conformance with the Fair Housing Act and that the grantee will “affirmatively further fair housing” (AFFH).

12. Applicable Laws and Regulations • Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended – prohibits discrimination based on disability in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. • Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) – Prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities in all services, programs and activities made available by State and local governments. September 16, 2011

13. Applicable Laws and Regulations • Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 – requires that buildings constructed or assisted with federal funds be accessible to and usable by handicapped persons. • Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 - requires that employment and other economic opportunities arising in connection with housing rehab, construction or other public construction projects shall be given to low- and very low-income persons, to greatest extent feasible (24 CFR Part 135 and 24 CFR 570.487).

14. Applicable Laws and Regulations • States and Local Governments receiving CDBG funds must certify that they will affirmatively further fair housing (24 CFR 570.487 and 24 CFR Part 91.325 (a)(1)).

15. State government responsibilities: • Identify impediments to fair housing choice • Formerly Analysis of Impediments (AI) • Now called Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH) • Conducting fair housing planning • AFH will require better coordination with Consolidated Planning • Taking actions to overcome the identified impediments • Maintaining records • Assuring that local governments comply with certifications.

16. Local government responsibilities: • Develop proposed action to AFFH for state review and approval • Develop complaint procedure • Develop method for documenting efforts to promote and monitor activities • Other requirements may be imposed by state

17. Complaints/Violations of FHEO • Any and all citizen complaints are reported to HUD Fair Housing/Equal Opportunity (FHEO) for investigation. • Additional information can be obtained in the CDBG Recipient Manual or at HUD www.hud.gov

18. Contact Information Pam Truitt, Grants Consultant Phone: (404) 679-5240 E-Mail: pam.truitt@dca.ga.gov Michael Casper, Compliance Manager Phone: (404) 679-0594 E-Mail: michael.casper@dca.ga.gov Steed Robinson, Office of Community Development Director Phone: (404) 679-3168 E-Mail: steed.robinson@dca.ga.gov Glenn Misner, Office of Field Services Director Phone: 404-679-3138 E-Mail: glenn.misner@dca.ga.gov