HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 01-21-2016 - 8-a - Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: January 21, 2016
Action Agenda
Item No. 8-a
SUBJECT: Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice
DEPARTMENT: Housing/Human Rights and PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) N
Community Development
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Summary: FY 2015-2020 Analysis of Audrey Spencer-Horsley, Director
Impediments (A.I.) (919)245-2490
PURPOSE: To receive a report, approve the FY 2015-2020 Analysis of Impediments to fair
housing choice (A.I.), and authorize the Manager to certify the necessary documents.
BACKGROUND: As the lead agency of the Orange County HOME Consortium, the County
administers funding allocated through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development's (HUD's) HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME). The County also
occasionally receives Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. As such, the
County is a Participating Jurisdiction (PJ). In addition to the allocation of these block grants, the
County's Housing, Human Rights and Community Development Department operates as a
Public Housing Authority (PHA) through its administration of the federal Housing Choice
Voucher program.
All PJ's and PHA's are required to engage in activities that "affirmatively further fair housing".
To meet this long-standing obligation, the County completes and submits an Analysis of
Impediments (A.I.) to identify barriers to fair housing choice and for planning an approach to
take meaningful actions to overcome these barriers. This analysis is completed every five (5)
years, consistent with the County's quinquennial submission of its Consolidated Plan for
Affordable Housing.
The County's objectives parallel HUD's objectives to:
• Promote fair housing choice for all persons;
• Provide opportunities for inclusive patterns of housing occupancy regardless of race,
color, religion, sex, familial status, disability and national origin;
• Promote housing that is structurally accessible to, and usable by, all persons, particularly
persons with disabilities; and
• Foster compliance with the nondiscrimination provisions of the Fair Housing Act.
A draft A.I. was made available for public comment beginning Friday, August 14, 2015 and
continuing until 5 p.m. on Monday, September 14, 2015. Electronic copies of the draft plan
were available to the public via the County's website. Hardcopies were made available at the
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County's Department of Housing, Human Rights and Community Development, the Townships
of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough, the Chapel Hill Public Library and each branch of the
Orange County Public Library. In addition, a newspaper posting soliciting comments was
issued in the News of Orange, the Durham Herald Sun and La Noticia, a Spanish bi-lingual
newspaper. There were additional surveys returned by non-English speaking community
members and one public comment received. These surveys and the public comment were
inserted in the Final A.I., which is available on-line at the following URL:
http://www.orangecountync.gov/departments/hhrcd/Final Orange County 2015 Al.pdf
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact regarding the approval and certification of
the Analysis of Impediments.
SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: The following four (4) Orange County Social Justice Goals are
applicable to this agenda item and the attached Analysis of Impediments:
• GOAL: FOSTER A COMMUNITY CULTURE THAT REJECTS OPPRESSION AND
INEQUITY
The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race or color;
religious or philosophical beliefs; sex, gender or sexual orientation; national origin or
ethnic background; age; military service; disability; and familial, residential or economic
status.
• GOAL: ENSURE ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY
The creation and preservation of infrastructure, policies, programs and funding
necessary for residents to provide shelter, food, clothing and medical care for themselves
and their dependents.
• GOAL: ESTABLISH SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE LAND-USE AND
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES
The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of people of all races, cultures, incomes
and educational levels with respect to the development and enforcement of
environmental laws, regulations, policies, and decisions. Fair treatment means that no
group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental
consequences resulting from industrial, governmental and commercial operations or
policies.
• GOAL: ENABLE FULL CIVIC PARTICIPATION
Ensure that Orange County residents are able to engage government through voting and
volunteering by eliminating disparities in participation and barriers to participation.
RECOMMENDATION (5): The Manager recommends that the Board receive a report, approve
the Orange County 2015-2020 Analysis of Impediments, and authorize the Manager to certify
the same.
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ANALYSIS OF IMPEDIMENTS TO FAIR HOUSING CHOICE
THE ORANGE COUNTY, NC HOME CONSORTIUM OP�rl'NVVo 11,0d�
The Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to and interaction of six (6) fundamental
discriminate in the sale, rental, financing, conditions within the community:
or insurance of a dwelling, or in any other
•
type of housing related transaction on the The sale or rental of dwellings
basis of race, sex, religion, national (public or private);
origin, color, disability, or familial status • The provision of housing
brokerage services;
(the presence of children under the age The provision of financial
of 18 in the household). In addition, assistance for dwellings;
certain multifamily dwellings, constructed • Public policies and actions
after 1991, are required to be accessible affecting the approval of sites and
to persons with disabilities. other building requirements used
As a HUD grantee, the Orange County in the approval process for the
HOME Consortium is required to construction of publicly assisted
housing;
"affirmatively further fair housing." In The administrative policies
order to demonstrate that the community concerning community
is "affirmatively furthering fair housing," development and housing
each grantee must conduct an Analysis activities, which affect
of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice opportunities of minority
(Al) which identifies any impediments to households to select housing
fair housing choice and what steps the inside or outside areas of minority
community will take to affirmatively concentration; and
further fair housing. HUD advises • Where there is a determination of
communities that the Analysis of unlawful segregation or other
Impediments to Fair Housing should also housing discrimination by a court
address "Visitability," the Section 504 or a finding of noncompliance by
Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with HUD regarding assisted housing
Disabilities Act, as well as the Fair in a recipient's jurisdiction, an
analysis of the actions which could
Housing Act. be taken by the recipient to
HUD defines "fair housing choice" as: remedy the discriminatory
condition, including actions
involving the expenditure of funds
made available under 24 CFR
Part 570.
❑ METHODOLOGY
The methodology employed to
The Orange County HOME Consortium undertake this Analysis of
has prepared an Analysis of Impediments included:
Impediments to Fair Housing Choice for
2015. The analysis focuses on the status
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ANALYSIS OF IMPEDIMENTS TO FAIR HOUSING CHOICE
THE ORANGE COUNTY, NC HOME CONSORTIUM OP�rl'NVVo 11,0d�
• Research
- A review of the County's
Zoning Ordinance, U FINDINGS: ACS DATA
Comprehensive Plan, land use
policies and procedures was According to the 2007-2011 American
undertaken. Community Survey (the most current
- Demographic data for the complete set of census estimates):
County was analyzed from the
U.S. Census and the HUD- • 60.2% of households were owners
CHAS data and tables. and 39.8% of households were
- A review of the real estate and renters.
mortgage practices was • When comparing homeowners
undertaken. and renters by race, "White"
households represent the largest
• Interviews & Meetings percentage of homeownership
- Meetings and/or interviews (84.1%) with "Black or African
were conducted with County American" households comprising
Staff, representatives from (9.4%) of the total homeowners.
each of the members of the • Of the total number of "White"
HOME Consortium, Orange households, 65.52% ° are
County and the Town of homeowners and 34.48/° are
Chapel Hill public housing renters. In comparison, of all
providers, community and "Black and African American"
social service/advocacy households, 42.85% ° are
agencies for the disabled, homeowners and 57.15% are
housing providers, the local renters.
Board of Realtors, and real • The per capita income for the
estate firms. County is $25,256.
• The median household income for
• Analysis of Data Orange County is $56,055,
- Locations with a majority of compared to $46,291 for North
low- and moderate-income Carolina.
residents were identified. • 39.74% of all residents in Orange
- Locations with a concentration County are considered low- to
of minority populations were moderate-income.
identified. • 16.9% of the population in Orange
- Fair housing awareness in the County is living below the poverty
community was evaluated. level. This has increased from
14.1% in 1999.
• Potential Impediments • The percentage of some families
- Public sector policies that may with children living below the
be viewed as impediments. poverty level is as follows:
- Private sector policies that may o Families with related children
be viewed as impediments. under the age of 18 is 14.5%.
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ANALYSIS OF IMPEDIMENTS TO FAIR HOUSING CHOICE
THE ORANGE COUNTY, NC HOME CONSORTIUM OP rl'NVVo 11,0d
o Female-headed families with • 43A% of renter households and
related children under the age 32.5% of owner-occupied
of 18 is 35.2%. households experienced one of
o Families with a householder the four housing problems
who is White is 6.1% (incomplete kitchen facilities,
o Families with a householder incomplete plumbing facilities,
who is Black or African more than 1 person per room, and
American is 20.6%. cost burdened by 30% or more).
o Families with a householder • In Carrboro 51.1% of renter
who is Asian is 15.4%. households and 30.7% of owner
o Families with a householder occupied households experienced
who is Hispanic or Latino is a housing problem.
29.4%. • In Chapel Hill 54.9% of renter
• 44.1% of all renter households are households and 20.5% of owner-
cost burdened by 30% or more, occupied households experienced
and 12.1% of all owner a housing problem.
households are cost burdened by • In Hillsborough 47.3% of renter
30% or more. households and 39.0% of owner-
• 28.4% of all renter households are occupied households experienced
cost burdened by 50% or more, a housing problem.
and 7.7% of all owner households • Throughout Orange County, the
are cost burdened by 50% or number of renter households
more. experiencing one of the four
• The median monthly rent in housing problems is greater than
Orange County increased by the number of owner-occupied
22.81% between 2000 and 2011, households experiencing a
from $684 to $840, respectively. housing problem.
• 47% of all disabled renters have a • In the Town of Chapel Hill renter
housing problem that includes households are almost three times
cost burdened by 30% or more or more likely to experience a
another type of housing problem. housing problem than owner-
• 32% of disabled homeowners occupied households.
have a housing problem that
includes cost burdened by 30% or
more or another type of housing ❑ FINDINGS — HMDA DATA
problem.
According to the Home Mortgage
Disclosure Act (HMDA) data:
❑ FINDINGS — CHAS DATA
• The percentage of total
According to the 2006-2010 applications by Whites accounts
Comprehensive Housing Affordability for almost three-quarters (74.3%)
Strategy (CHAS) data (the most of the total number of applications,
current complete set of the data): regardless of income.
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ANALYSIS OF IMPEDIMENTS TO FAIR HOUSING CHOICE
THE ORANGE COUNTY, NC HOME CONSORTIUM OP�rl'NVVo 11,0d�
• Loan origination rates are higher social security and public assistance.
for White applicants than for Furthermore, 44.1% (8,923) of the
minority applicants as a whole, total rental households are cost
and minority denial rates are burdened by 30% or more of their
higher than White denial rates. monthly income for housing cost.
• Conventional mortgages in
Orange County made up 32.4% of Impediment 3: Continuing Need for
the conventional mortgages in the Accessible Housing Units
Durham-Chapel Hill MSA for
2013. There is a need for more accessible
housing that is decent, safe, and
sound.
❑ IMPEDIMENTS
Impediment 4: Economic Issues
Orange County's 2015 Analysis of Affect Housing Choice
Impediments to Fair Housing Choice There is a lack of economic
has identified the following opportunities in the County which
impediments: prevents low-income households from
Impediment 1: Fair Housing improving their income and ability to
Education and Outreach live outside areas with concentrations
of low-income households, which
There is a need to continue makes this a fair housing concern.
educational and outreach programs
so persons will become aware of their Impediment 5: Public Policy
rights under the Fair Housing Act and There is a need to improve public
to raise community awareness to policies that affirmatively further fair
affirmatively further fair housing housing.
choice, especially for low-income
residents, minorities and the disabled
population.
Impediment 2: Quality of Rental
Housing vs. Affordability
Orange County has a large supply of
rental housing that does not meet the
minimum property standards,
according to U.S. Census and
American Community Survey Data.
Over 27% (1,209) of all vacant units
are not habitable and 9.9% (5,016) of
all individuals are on limited incomes
from social security, supplemental
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