Funding for housing mobility planning: HUD has released a new funding notice implementing a provision of the 2023 appropriations act, to provide up to 25 grants of $60,000 each to eligible PHAs to help plan the development of a housing mobility program. The funding notice identifies 114 eligible PHAs, and the application process is very simple, just an expression of interest, as described in the notice. There are currently at least 44 metro areas with housing mobility programs, funded through federal, state, local, or philanthropic funds.
Save the date! On May 2, The National Coalition on School Diversity (NCSD) is co-hosting an important anniversary event with the Bridges Collaborative and the American Institutes for Research – Brown v. Board at 70: Fulfilling the True Promise of School Integration. The evening event will be held at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and will be forward-facing: educators, advocates, policymakers, parents and students will convene to examine perspectives on Brown’s promise––both fulfilled and unfulfilled––and imagine how, together, we might build a collective vision for what truly integrated, equitable, and thriving schools look like.
Small Area FMRs – reminder: Especially if you are an advocate working in one of these 41 metro areas, you may want to register for the NHLP/PRRAC webinar on the implementation of the new Small Area FMR regions – February 14 at 1:00, register here.
Gratitude: Our year end fundraising drive was the most successful ever, and we didn’t really do much of a fund drive! Thank you to everyone who contributed, and special thanks for the extra generosity this year, we needed it and will put the money to good use!
Other news and resources
Fair housing and community preferences: The long running fair housing challenge to NYC’s policy of prioritizing many subsidized apartments for local neighborhood residents (to the exclusion of outsiders) ended with a settlement agreement and order in federal court that sharply restricts the policy to a maximum of 20% of available units, and includes strong anti-segregation language. Congratulations to the Anti-Discrimination Center (which also was responsible for the seminal Westchester AFFH litigation in 2006-2009) for persevering against stiff legal and political resistance since 2015. See the settlement materials here, and for more legal background, see the Lawyers Committee amicus brief, filed in 2020.
More good news from Kansas City: KC Tenants have secured another important victory with a strong new source of income discrimination ordinance that includes restrictions on the use of minimum income tests and credit checks. The ordinance also places sensible restrictions on the use of criminal records, consistent with HUD guidance. There are now at least 120 local ordinances nationwide banning discrimination against families with housing vouchers, along with 17 states – and more on the way.
Speaking of tenant protections: The National Low Income Housing Coalition’s (NLIHC) State and Local Innovations team has developed an impressive catalog of tenant protections across the U.S. – but they need your help to complete it. You can look up your state or city here (scroll down), and if you see anything missing, you can fill out this quick survey!
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