State of Maryland
Analysis of Impediments to
Fair Housing Choice
COSCDA Program Managers Meeting
Washington, D.C. March 16, 2010
State of Maryland
Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing
Choice
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DHCD did AI in House
Items we examined:
– Housing needs by family
type, race, age, and
disability
– Low-income and
Minority Concentrations
– Home Mortgage
Disclosure Act Data
– Foreclosure Data
– DHCD Lending Data
– DGCD Program
Beneficiaries
– Numbers and
Languages spoken by
persons of Limited
English Proficiency
– Fair Housing Complaints
– State Policies and
Procedures including
HOME, CDBG, LIHTC,
Housing Choice Voucher
Policies
– Reasonable
Accommodation
– Smart Growth
State of Maryland
Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice
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Other Actions we undertook:
– Fair Housing Survey
– Accessing Affordable and Available Housing
– Meetings with Advocacy Groups, Legal Aide,
ACLU, staff from other State agencies including
DHMH, DHR, MCHR
– Public Hearings across the State
– Examined items we don’t control but my impact
fair housing choice: for example, local zoning,
availability of transportation, BRAC
State of Maryland
Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing
Choice
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What we did well:
Financed new
construction of rental
housing outside of areas
of minority and lowincome concentration
Provided mortgage
financing to protected
classes
Operated the Housing
Choice Voucher Program
in a way that provided
housing choice
State of Maryland
Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing
Choice
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What We Did Well
(continued):
Undertook CDBG
projects outside of
areas of minority and
low-income
concentration
Offered a wide-array of
programs that offered
fair housing choice
Carried out the goals
and objectives of the
last AI
State of Maryland
Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice
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Impediments We Identified:
– Lack of knowledge about fair
housing rights, responsibilities
– Data does not allow us to
identified possible
discrimination or adequate
determine needs
– Persons of Limited English
Proficiency need better access
to programs
– Disproportionate housing
need for persons with
disabilities
– Need for more affordable
housing
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Actions to overcome
Impediments:
– Need more Fair Housing
Education
– Need for improved data at
Federal, State level
– Need to improve Limited
English Proficiency (LEP)
efforts
– Need for more housing for
persons with Disabilities
– Need for more affordable
housing for all populations
State of Maryland
Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice
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Fair Housing Education
– Survey answers showed
many people in all areas
lacked awareness of
knowledge of fair housing
rights and responsibilities
– Many property owners
did not know how to
categorize HH by
race/ethnicity
– HUD has not issued new
requirements under HERA
Better Education
Other
9, 6%
13, 9%
More Affordable and
Accessible Housing
6, 4%
56, 39%
5, 3%
More Funding
Not Sure
9, 6%
Nothing should be done
8, 5%
Ordinances
15, 10%
27, 18%
Marketing and Outreach
No Suggestions or Response
State of Maryland
Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice
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Actions to Address
Education Needs
– Development and
Implementation of
comprehensive local
outreach and
information programs
on fair housing,
emphasizing race,
ethnicity, and disability
– Initiate testing for racial
discrimination in sales
practices and lending.
– Develop and implement
fair housing training for
residents, realtors,
developers, landlords,
lenders, insurers,
management agents, etc.
– Train landlords on new
reporting requirements
related to tenant
beneficiaries as per HERA
(awaiting HUD guidance
and TA.)
– Sponsor Fair Housing
Conferences, workshops
and seminars
State of Maryland
Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice
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Improved Data
– HMDA Data shows
possible discrimination,
but can’t be proved
based on data
– Census data on
disabilities does not
reflect housing need
– Persons at all levels of
government, private
sector don’t understand
basic data, reporting
categories, etc.
Percent of Individuals with a Disability by Census Tract1 for the
Total Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population 5 years and over
(excluding entitlement areas)
Washington
Washington
Cecil
Cecil
Allegany
Allegany
Garrett
Garrett
Carroll
Carroll
Frederick
Frederick
Kent
Kent
Jurisdiction
Total
Population
Pop. with a
Disability
Percent
w/Disability
Allegany
Calvert
Caroline
Carroll
Cecil
Charles
Dorchester
Frederick
Garrett
Kent
Queen Anne's
Saint Mary's
Somerset
Talbot
Washington
Wicomico
Worcester
Maryland
46,721
68,553
27,570
138,549
79,151
108,881
28,499
131,213
27,509
17,942
37,491
76,604
20,188
31,623
81,721
56,118
43,569
1,021,902
8,782
10,925
5,642
20,411
14,486
18,133
6,532
17,983
5,499
3,687
6,441
11,724
4,985
6,093
14,897
10,209
9,154
175,583
18.8
15.9
20.5
14.7
18.3
16.7
22.9
13.7
20.0
20.5
17.2
15.3
24.7
19.3
18.2
18.2
21.0
17.2
Queen
Queen
Anne's
Anne's
Caroline
Caroline
Talbot
Talbot
Calvert
Calvert
Charles
Charles
Dorchester
Dorchester
Saint
Saint Mary's
Mary's
Wicomico
Wicomico
All totals and derived calculations exclude data (i.e. disability population
values) located in entitlement areas.
Worcester
Worcester
Somerset
Somerset
<= 17.0%, the census tract mean
17.1% - 23.4% (1 SD above mean)
23.5% - 29.8% (2 SD above mean)
29.9% - 36.2% (3 SD above mean)
>= 36.3% (4 SD above mean, 40.8% max. value)
Entitlement Areas
(data in entitlement areas omitted from analysis)
1 Census tracts located in both entitlement and non-entitlement areas have been split,
so that only data in non-entitlement areas were used to calculate percentages.
Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000, Summary File 3, Table PCT26 Sex by Age by Types of Disability for the Civilian Noninstitutionalized
population 5 years and over
State of Maryland
Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice
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Actions to Address
Data shortcomings:
– Advocate with Congress,
HUD and Federal
Reserve to improve
HMDA data (federal preemption)
– Advocate and work with
HUD and State agencies
to improve data
collection on housing
needs of persons with
disabilities
– Fair Housing Training to
project managers to
improve beneficiary
reporting
State of Maryland
Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice
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Limited English
Proficiency (LEP)
– Used Safe Harbor Limits
from HUD
– Many people unaware of
requirements
– DHCD already does
some LEP, but not in a
coordinated way
– Expand translation
services, website, etc.
State of Maryland
Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice
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Actions to Address
Limited English
Proficiency
– Encourage local LEP
service provision with
town/municipalities,
nonprofit organization,
etc.
– Develop and implement
LEP marketing, outreach
and information as
appropriate for
programs
– Add an “En Espanol” link
to DHCD’s website to
materials already
translated into Spanish
(foreclosure data,
apartment search data,
etc.)
– Utilize and advertise
more extensively State
Translator Subscription
Service
State of Maryland
Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice
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Housing Need for
Persons with
Disabilities
– Even with existing
DHCD programs, strong
need for persons with
disabilities
– Disabled persons on
SSI/SSDI can not afford
“affordable” apartments
– Significant populations
might be eligible for
mainstreaming
State of Maryland
Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice
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Actions to Address Housing
Needs for persons with
Disabilities:
– Implement select
strategies of the State
Disabilities Plan
– Increase rental subsidies to
persons with disabilities
from HUD
– Utilize alternative funding
streams to provide rental
subsidies (Medicaid
wavers, State Medicaid
match, etc.)
– Access possible additional
resources to serve persons
with Special Needs
(proposed reforms to
Section 811, 202
programs).
– Improve coordination
between agencies that
serve the disabled and
developers
– Improve operation of
housing programs for the
disabled operated by other
agencies
State of Maryland
Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice
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Lack of Affordable
Housing
– Need greatly
exceeds supply
– Housing is not
necessarily located
near transit or jobs
– Loss of affordable
housing exacerbates
housing problems
State of Maryland
Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice
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Actions to Address
Lack of Affordable
Housing
– Access New Resources
for affordable housing
(for example, National
Affordable Housing
Trust)
– Preserve Existing
Affordable Housing
(MacArthur Foundation
Funds)
– Increase energy
efficiency of housing
(Weatherization, State
Energy Grant programs)
– Coordinate housing,
transportation, and jobs
(State Development
Plan, federal Sustainable
Communities Initiative
and Choice
Neighborhoods
Initiatives.)
State of Maryland
Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice
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Other Issues
Questions?