Title
Directing the creation of a Fair Housing Workgroup.
Body
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul is committed to furthering fair housing, housing choice, and access to economic opportunity and has a longstanding practice of coordinating investments to achieve these goals; and
WHEREAS, safe and stable housing and commercial corridors are the bedrock upon which individuals, families, and a community can thrive; and
WHEREAS, demographic changes, historical practices, federal housing policies, and societal and economic conditions have all contributed to concentrating poverty and people of color in particular areas of the City of Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul recognizes that our vision of a vibrant, thriving community will be impeded as long as housing discrimination and disparities in education and employment persist; and
WHEREAS, the goal of the City of Saint Paul is to continue to, make community development investments through a lens of fair housing and racial equity, to lessen the impact of race on opportunities in education, employment, housing, health and safety; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul, together with our regional city, county, and community partners, has undertaken an extensive analysis of housing discrimination and fair housing issues, and provided recommended strategies to address those concerns in the recently completed Addendum to the 2014 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing (“AAI”); and
WHEREAS, the AAI contains historical narrative, demographic data, and a housing market profile; it reviews zoning codes, Low Income Housing Tax Credit policies, public housing and voucher use policies; and it reports on the geographic locations of subsidized housing and the effects of gentrification and displacement; and
WHEREAS, the AAI provides guidelines and recommendations to achieving a balanced approach to fair housing and access to opportunity which should be evaluated for implementation within the City of Saint Paul;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor and City Council direct the formation of a Fair Housing Workgroup to make policy and budget recommendations to the Mayor and Housing and Redevelopment Authority, with the goal of eliminating housing disparities, lowering barriers to affordable housing, and ensuring access to economic opportunity in the City of Saint Paul;
AND FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that the Fair Housing Workgroup will be co-chaired by a representative of the City Council and a representative of the Mayor's office and will be composed of representatives including from the Departments of Planning and Economic Development, Safety and Inspections, Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity and the City Council;
AND FINALLY BE IT RESOLVED that the first meeting of the Fair Housing Workgroup will take place within 45 days of passage of this resolution.