City Tackles Obstacles to Fair Housing
Last updated Tuesday, November 28, 2006 9:41 PM CST in News
By Lori Harrison-Stone
The Morning News
ROGERS -- Fair housing issues come up for both renters and homebuyers, and Rogers launched a study Tuesday to figure out what those issues might be locally.
The study is part of a five-year plan mandated by the Community Development Block Grant Program to continue receiving funding. A study of homelessness in the city will accompany the study of fair housing impediments in that plan, said Donna Johnston, director of the Community Development Block Grant Program for the city.
Douglas Frederick, division manager of J-Quad & Associates of Dallas, the consulting firm handling the fair housing study, said any findings in the study of impediments to fair housing won't prevent the city from receiving its Community Development Block Grant money. The study will simply identify any obstacles and offer some suggested remedies, Frederick said. Johnston said the study will cost the city up to $10,000.
The city received $414,000 this year in Community Development Block Grant money that is earmarked for improvement of areas of low-income housing and to facilitate affordable housing. Johnston said the amount the city gets is determined by several issues, including census information and local income levels. Rogers' amount is typically $487,000 a year, but funding for Katrina relief caused a reduction this year, Johnston said. She's applied for the full amount next year.
In Tuesday's discussion of fair housing issues in Rogers, Frederick said there are illegal impediments to fair housing and some that aren't illegal but could generate a lawsuit. Discrimination against a federally protected class of people in rental agreements, real estate sales and mortgage lending are illegal, Frederick said.
Minimum lot sizes and other requirements in a community that make it difficult to afford housing are impediments, but not illegal, he added. He also noted newspaper advertising that continually features a white family, for example, might lead others to think the housing development isn't open to people of other colors. Such advertising has led to lawsuits against newspapers for allowing the advertising, he said.
He asked for comments from the city officials, real estate professionals and others attending two meetings on the issue Tuesday.
Alderman Bob Goodwin said "the biggest impediment" to fair housing in Rogers is a lack of affordable housing. Frederick agreed it is an obstacle.
Goodwin also asked if it would be an impediment to fair housing for landlords to question Hispanics about their legal status before renting to them. Walt Fenton, a local member of the Arkansas Fair Housing Commission, said it wouldn't be a problem as long as every potential renter is asked to prove their legal status.
Tom Rasmussen of the Rogers Board of Realtors said the Board of Realtors would oppose any legislation requiring landlords to have to ask about legal status. Fenton said the Arkansas Fair Housing Commission would also oppose such legislation.
Other issues discussed Tuesday include a lack of affordable housing for elderly who are transitioning from independent living to assisted living, the need to educate people about home buying and zoning issues.
FAST FACT
Rogers Housing Code
A Housing Code for Rogers states the following: There exists within and near the city a shortage of decent, safe and sanitary residential housing facilities available for rehabilitation, construction or purchase on terms that persons and families of low and moderate income can afford to pay.
SOURCE: Staff Report
Reader Comments (No comments posted.)
The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsibility of their authors. The Morning News does not review comments before their publication, nor do we guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by our comment policy. If you see a comment that violates our policy, please notify the web editor.
Not already registered?
