Title
Declaring April 2023 as Fair Housing Month in Saint Paul.
Body
WHEREAS, The Fair Housing Act, enacted on April 11, 1968, enshrined into federal law the goal of eliminating racial segregation and ending housing discrimination in the United States; and
WHEREAS, The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability, and commits recipients of federal funding to affirmatively further fair housing in their communities; and
WHEREAS, Saint Paul is committed to the mission and intent of Congress to provide fair and equal housing opportunities for all; and
WHEREAS, our social fabric, economy, health, and environment are all strengthened in diverse, inclusive communities; and
WHEREAS, housing stability impacts health, educational and employment opportunities; and
WHEREAS, it is vital to ensure equitable access to housing choice regardless of neighborhood or income; and
WHEREAS, more than fifty years after the passage of the Fair Housing Act, discrimination persists, and many communities remain segregated; and
WHEREAS, members of protected classes are at greater risk to experiencing displacement; and
WHEREAS, Saint Paul continues to experience an inequitable, widening wealth gap partly due to increasing homeownership costs and rental costs; and
WHEREAS, acts of housing discrimination and barriers to equal housing opportunity are repugnant to a common sense of decency and fairness; and
Whereas, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and jurisdictions who receive funding from HUD are required to “affirmatively further fair housing” as part of the Fair Housing Act of 1968; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul established a fair housing framework that includes: 1) increasing housing access, 2) decreasing housing displacement, and 3) affirmatively furthering fair housing; and
WHEREAS, Saint Paul has created a number of policies and taken actions to advance fair housing and support equitable housing practices including
• Creation and funding of 30% AMI Deeply Affordable Housing Fund, utilizing American Rescue Plan Act State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, the City in partnership with Ramsey County, established a $74 million fund with the purpose of increasing the supply of housing affordable to those at or below 30% of the Area Median Income.
• 4(d) Policy - Housing Incentive Program offers rental property owners a 40% tax rate reduction and limited grant assistance for units that remain affordable for ten years
• Housing Trust Fund for down payment assistance and land trust financing to expand options for homeownership
• Inheritance Fund - families from the redlined, historic Saint Paul Rondo Neighborhood can rebuild wealth through fully forgivable financing towards homeownership or home renovations
• Fair Housing Investigations - to respond to fair housing complaints, conduct investigations, and resolve complaints
• Just Deeds - joining the coalition committed to assisting property owners in removing racial covenants from their deeds
• Hiring a Fair Housing Coordinator to coordinate fair housing efforts across departments and to add capacity to set a strong citywide fair housing agenda; therefore be it
RESOLVED that the City Council of Saint Paul does hereby declare the month of April 2023 as Fair Housing Month; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, Saint Paul as an inclusive community is committed to fair housing, and to promoting appropriate activities by private and public entities to provide and advocate for equal housing opportunities for all residents and prospective residents of Saint Paul.