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Human Rights Commission Recommendations on Advancing Housing Equity_TABLED Copyrig hted December 7, 2020 City of Dubuque Consent Items #4. City Council Meeting ITEM TITLE: Human Rights Commission Recommendations onAdvancing Housing Equity SUMMARY: Human Rights Commission submitting its recommendations on advancing housing equity. SUGGESTED Suggested Disposition: Receive and File DISPOSITION: ATTACHMENTS: Description Type Letter from Human Rights Commission to Council Supporting Documentation Memo from Housing Director to Human Rights Commission Supporting Documentation Dubuque THB CITY OF � All-Ameriea City DUB E �I � r � I 2007�2012�2013 Masterpiece on the Mississippi zoi�+•zois Honorable Mayor and City Council City of Dubuque 50 W. 13th Street Dubuque, IA 52001 November 10, 2020 Re: Advancing Housing Equity: Human Rights Commission Recommendations to City Council Dear Mayor and Council, At its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, November 9, the Human Rights Commission reviewed the Housing recommendations from the Imagine Dubuque Comprehensive Plan and the goals, barriers, and proposed action items from the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing. See Attachment. Following discussion, the Commission voted to recommend that the City Council prioritize addressing these five barriers for the coming year: • Human Rights Commission effectiveness • Lack of affordable, safe housing • Arrest records being used as a barrier to landlord acceptance of Housing Choice Vouchers and background check process that is confusing to residents • Negative community perceptions about poverty that are impacting fair housing and access to opportunity • Law enforcement actions that disproportionately impact people of color We respectfully request that the Council support this prioritization and any associated funding that may be proposed for these purposes through the FY22 budget process. Sirye�erely, �� , /�� i � Anthony Allen, Chairperson Human Rights Commission cc: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager Alexis Steger, Housing & Community Development Manager Duhuque THE CITY OF � All-lmeelca 6fry DLT F E ,� � . � I � � � Maste ZeC� �Yt t�22 �VIT55255Z Z zoa�•zoiz•zai3 �P �' zai�*��i� TO: Human Rights Commission FROM: Alexis M. Steger, Housing & Community Development Director DATE: October 30, 2020 RE: Fair Housing Plan Prioritization Background The City of Dubuque completed a new 5-year Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing. Part of that analysis is a plan that provides goals and actions under each goal that can be taken to help meet the goal. This plan identifies barriers, policy and other things that may prevent someone from getting the housing they need. Attached is the plan summary of goals and actions to take/barriers to address. Discussion The Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing is a 5-year plan and therefore not all goals and actions can be addressed the first year. The plan identifies which actions could have a high priority; however, this does not access the amount of the impact or the difficulty for achieving those goals. Some goals take small actions to make a significant difference and should be employed as soon as possible based on effort and impact. For example, the City reviewed the background checks that are provided to landlords if they request them. It is noted that these backgrounds are difficult to read, and may cause a bias/barrier to fair housing. A quick review of the information provided allowed the City to remove the arrests records from what is provided. The arrest records do not provide the outcome of the charge, whether they are dismissed or plead/changed to lesser charges. Providing arrests and charges brought to court also can cause confusion about how many times a person was charged with a crime because the arrest record and charge may be slightly different. This change took minimal effort and may only have a small impact but was worth the 5- minute review from a fair housing perspective. This is just one example of something that may not rise to the top of a priority list in a 5-year plan, but was easily addressed. There are many other pieces of the background check ordinance that will be reviewed, this was just a small piece of the puzzle. Recommendation I respectfully request the Human Rights Commission review the plan attached and provide a recommended prioritization of 4-5 actions that should be taken in the next year. These actions can address one goal or a combination of the four goals. There are no restrictions to the recommendation that can be provided by the Human Rights Commission from this fair housing plan, these are just guidelines to start the conversation. 2 6a) 2019 Proposed Fair Housing Plan: Review and Recommendations 2019 PROPOSED FAIR HOUSING PLAN •• • Goal One: Advance equity with fair housing advocacy, education and enforcement. Housing Choice Vouchers are High Continue obtaining accurate Housing Choice Voucher not accepted as source of data from landlords as to the number of units, location income for rental units. of units,vacancies, and denials of rental applicotions; identify landlords unwilling to accept HCVs and conduct targeted outreach and education. Lack of communication and Medium Implement communication and trust-building activities relationships between HCV for landlords and HCV program participants such as tenants/applicants and "Meet and Lease" events or other national promising landlords. approaches. Human Rights Commission High Conduct an assessment of HRC and support capacity effectiveness. building efforts, including publication of a strategic plan. Fair housing materials not High Review the inventory of fair housing education available in languages spoken in materials (e.g. fact sheets) and update to reflect the the community. languages spol<en in the community and what community members say they most want and need. Residents report they perceive High Establish an external, independent fair housing testing potential bias and/or program for residential, accessibility, sales and lending, discrimination in public and or insurance discrimination to identify the problems private housing practices. members of protected classes face when seeking housing in Dubuque. � — Goal Two: Increase and promote safe, affordable housing. Lack of affordable, safe High Continue implementation of the Imagine Dubuque housing. strategies, and the Clty Housing and Community Development Department's efforts to affirmatively further fair housing through licensing and tiered inspections, making decislons more transparent. Lack of confidence that the Medium To build community trust, publish short (e.g. one pager City is focused on equitable and/or data dashboard if possible) updates regarding housing choice for ali the increase in safe, affordable housing. residents. Recent predatory pricing High City Council, as at least one member has publicly stated, practices by Mobile Home should take any and all appropriate action to protect community owners are pricing the residents in mobile home communities.This people out of their residences. protection may come in the form of an ordinance or other action but promotes safe, affordable housing for the over 800 Dubuque residents who live in mobile homes. � • • • � � • • • • � : • Goal Three: Implement local government policies that encourage equity and decrease disparate impacts. Arrest records used as a High Audit the background check process for disparate barrierto landlord acceptance impact. of HCVs and background check process is confusing to residents. Lack of eviction data and High Implement quarterly review of eviction data to evaluate analysis to assess for disparities/discriminatory impact. discrimination and disparities and provide support to residents facing evictions. Lack of living wage that Medium Educate regarding the impact of the state's minimum empowers self-sufficiency; wage and conduct activities to increase wages. state law prohibits local control over minimum wage setting. Lack of a Source of Income High Continue exploring a Source of Income Ordinance. Ordinance and�or sYaYe legislation creates disparate impact on protected classes. Lack of access to child care is a Medium Evaluate the potential for induding child care proximity barrier to opportunity such as into housing development proposals and assess the employment. feasibility of a local subsidy to support child care and/or preschool accessibility, affordability and quality. � - - Goal Four: Increase access to opportunity and the building of social capital. Lower median earnings and High Assess, develop and implement metrics and sUategies to wages for women. reduce the Gender Wage Gap. � Negafive community �. High Increase community awareness about the impact of perceptions about poverty poverty and toxic stress on the brain; develop impact fair housing and access measurable equity and Inclusion metrics. to opportunity. Law enforcement actions High Evaluate disparities in arrest rates by race and detail disproportionately impact metrics and actions to decrease racially disproportionate people of color. arrest rates. The nonprofit service array is Medium Use assessments currently underway (Equitable Poverty confusing to consumers. Prevention Plan process and another group's review) regarding the nonprofit services array and gaps to make necessary improvements that increase access to opportunity. Lack of public transit may Low Assess the need for public Vansit to Northeast lowa negatively impact access to Community College programs in Peosta and make educational opportunity. improvements as indicated. 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I/ � � 7 �� fiy; ' 'Rr' � � � , '' � -� - ---�-. � - .�"� ,.� '�;_ ; �� , ,� � .'�~� *�� f �, � ,�� . . ..._ .. _ -- "'c„�� , . : : _ .� �:,_ t : ' .y��.. . . � �+' � . ..��.,...�,.y.. . _... .'_ � st' . ,._ ...�.,-- ._..�_ '� — — . � ' r I . - ' -+ �'__ _' ..-...�v`"�r �% ❑ Housing Mix and Age 6-2 ❑ OualityAffordableHousing 6-3 CHAPTER 6 ❑ HealthyHomes 6-9 ❑ Urban Revitalization 6-9 H 0 U S I N G � Partnerships and Incentives 6-10 ❑ Remmmendations 6-11 Housing Recommendations ��.............VIABLE............. �! r ...........LIVABLE........... r ❑ Continue to review the Clty's mdes and incentives to ensure what is working � � mntinues,and that any other barriers are a priority to address and remove. .!;-��+�r �, ��aUITABt_[..,,..... � Each remmmenda[ion listed re- ❑ Recognizing the importance of historic preservation and adaptive reuse, (ntes to making Dubuque more promote waste recovery and consider recruiting a Habitat for Humanity ReStore viable,livable,anAequrtable. The or other building reuse retailec .;; y � rymbols noted above carrespand ro these guiding princrpals and are ❑ Support the City's inspection programs as wetl as 6reen and Healthy Homes listedalongwiththeremmmenda- Initiative. ,s� �y tionstheypertainto. ❑ Monitor affordability and housing stress, an important hea(th indicamr, annualty. �.�,: °t� � ; ��::..._�_�t_.. ...., ��«�^^ �.--.''\ . ❑ Iltustrate the tangible economic and sustainabitity benefits—direct, indirect, ` � � ►""" 6-� and induced—to Dubuque's economy and community from the work done by �,y::'w f �'� �'�` the City's historic preservation program and the City's private and pubLic sector �� .- a\'°l�,;., partners. Communicate these benefits �onsistentty to aU locat,state, and �,_ � � . �� federal constituenaes s; � p� � �'r � _ �✓ � - ❑ Identify and mllaborate with new parmers in other fietds, such as health and � welfare, environmental, education,and the cultural arts,to strengthen the tinks between Dubuque's neighborhoods and their evolving story. ,g;r -R ❑ Promote mixed-use devetopment both downtown,within the lohn F. Kennedy Road Corridor, and key i�tersections atong the Southwest ArteriaL These mixed-use areas should provide a variery of residentiat choices, access to goods ,//.�� and services, and neighborhood amenities like parks and schoots within a watkabte environment. ..�; s� � C�H A N�G�E ❑ Look to increase wages and self-sufficiency opportunities in the community to make housing more attainable. .�,�� j; ❑ Adopt and implement a mix of educational/outreach programs to inuease housing provider participation in Housing Choice Voucher program .-;, r -� ❑ Adopt and implement a mix of financial incentives/policies for creation of � � � �,��\��,��uf�'r�'F x Housing Choice Voucher uniu throughout communiry .�:y �� -__, t $ ; ❑ Foster partnerships with private and non-profit housing developers to provide �� o � affordable, quality housing units. -� � j; � � . ��,- ��'� ' Page 6-12 � Imagine Dubuque I Chapter 6-Housing I