Title
Approving and authorizing the execution of the Voluntary Compliance Agreement between the City of Saint Paul, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Metropolitan Interfaith Council on Affordable Housing.
Body
WHEREAS, on July 27, 2015, the City of Saint Paul received a complaint from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) that was filed by the Metropolitan Interfaith Council on Affordable Housing (“MICAH”) alleging that the City violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Section 109 of the Housing and Community Development Act (the “Complaint”); and
WHEREAS, the Complaint alleged that the City discriminated on the basis of race and ethnicity and violated the City’s duty to affirmatively further fair housing; and
WHEREAS, the City filed a response to the Complaint denying all allegations; and
WHEREAS, HUD has not done any investigation and has made no findings that the City has discriminated in any way or failed to affirmatively further fair housing; and
WHEREAS, the City is part of a group of thirteen metropolitan area entitlement jurisdictions called the Fair Housing Implementation Council (FHIC), which prepared a regional analysis of impediments to fair housing (“AI”) in 2015; and
WHEREAS, the AI is required by HUD as part of the City’s duty to affirmatively further fair housing; and
WHEREAS, the City and the FHIC were planning to augment the AI with a more detailed analysis of integration and segregation in the region before the City received the Complaint; and
WHEREAS, at HUD’s request, the City and the FHIC put that analysis on hold while HUD sought to negotiate a settlement of the Complaint; and
WHEREAS, the City, HUD, and MICAH have reached a settlement of the Complaint, and that settlement is reflected in the Voluntary Compliance Agreement (“VCA”) attached hereto and incorporated by reference; and
WHEREAS, in the VCA the City agrees to participate in a regional addendum to the AI as proposed above that will be a more detailed discussion of integration and segregation in the region and include a robust community process; and
WHEREAS, HUD will provide a technical assistance grant in the amount of $100,000.00 in support of the community engagement process; and
WHEREAS, HUD will dismiss the current Complaint against the City without any investigation which would be costly to the City in terms of time and dollars; and
WHEREAS, HUD will not accept a similar complaint against the City involving the same or other parties; and
WHEREAS, the Complainant will waive any and all claims against the City: and
WHEREAS, the City will pay MICAH $10,000 in exchange for a release of any and all claims related to the Complaint; and
WHEREAS, the City is focused on racial equity in all areas and this process will allow the City to seize an opportunity to engage the region in racially equitable housing opportunities and perhaps become a model for the nation in community engagement; now, therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Council hereby approves the VCA in substantially the form submitted and the appropriate City officials are authorized and directed to execute the VCA on behalf of the City; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Director of the Department of Planning and Economic Development is authorized to negotiate and agree to any amendments to the VCA which do not substantially change the rights and obligations of the City; and be it
FINALLY RESOLVED, that City staff and legal counsel are directed and authorized to take all actions necessary to implement this Resolution.