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How will we expand housing choice in Monroe County? 
How will we measure progress? 

Community Choice: Strategies for Promoting Fair Housing in Monroe County

The Community Choice Action Plan process began with a 1996 study, the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing ("AI").  That study showed that Rochester and Monroe County are highly segregated by race and income.  According to the "AI", even though the City makes up only one-third of the county population (and only five percent of its land area), nearly 80% of all racial minorities live in the city.  Additionally, even within the City itself, 80% of all minorities live in only four out of the city's ten planning sectors.

The Housing Choice Strategies report that grew out of the Analysis of Impediments, gave us this important warning:

 

"No one should be surprised by these statistics. While these characteristics may appear startling to some, the basic conditions have persisted for decades.  Nearly 30 years ago, in the wake of racial unrest and under the joint sponsorship of the City and County, local industrialist and philanthropist, Joseph C. Wilson [the founder of Xerox Corp] led a "blue ribbon" investigation into the community's housing needs, including the patterns of racial and economic segregation.   A host of actions to address this segregation were recommended to the community, but few were actually implemented. Our collective public policies and private actions during the ensuing decades have resulted in a few city neighborhoods housing our poorest citizens."

 

Implicit in that "heads-up" was this question: "What will we do this time to make a difference?"

The first step had already been taken.  We formed a Fair Housing Strategy Team that would use the very same planning model used by the most successful private corporations: Under that model, we would not only establish goals, but we would simultaneously set "performance measures" to monitor our progress.

The Strategy Team, comprised of city, town, village, county, Housing Authority staff and other local experts met throughout the Spring and Summer of 1996 to produce a draft plan.  The draft was then put out to the whole community for more input.

The final strategy report, released in November, 1996 laid the blueprint for economic integration and expansion of housing choice. The report was presented in a format containing a series of "key result areas", "performance measures", and "strategies."  And this time there would be benchmarks to see how we are doing.

Just as importantly, the strategy report broke with the past practice of having a primarily city-based plan. Recognizing that we're all in this together, this time the chief elected officials of not only the City, but also of the County, and the Towns of Greece and Irondequoit gave their support to the plan.  Finally, the plan was to be a dynamic effort.  As implementation continues, it may change and will need to be updated periodically.

 

What's the difference between a "Key Result Area" (KRA), a "Key Result Measure" (KRM) and an  "implementation strategy"?

A: Key Result Area (KRA) is a the broadest of the three concepts.  In our Housing Choice Action plan, there are eight "key result areas."  The eight KRAs came about by clustering the  impediments from the AI that related to each other, figuring out what it was they had in common, and defining a "problem-solving" approach to addressing that common element.

One such element related to many of the impediments was the extreme concentration of poverty, particularly for minorities.  Former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, called such poverty concentrations "urban America's toughest challenge."  Put simply, problems which would be manageable for a community when spread out become harder to deal with if they are concentrated in smaller geographic areas.

 

The Housing Choice Strategy Plan took direct aim on the poverty concentration problem.  The first two key result areas are designed to increase housing choice for minority households by helping minorities and low income families move out of high poverty areas so they will have greater employment and educational opportunities. Similarly, the remaining 6 key result areas address the broad range of impediments to housing choice identified in the AI. These include increasing the supply of affordable housing, examining lending practices, increasing awareness of fair housing laws and enforcement, addressing transportation barriers, and increasing economic opportunities.

For each of these "Key Result Areas" there are corresponding "Key Result Measures" which we'll use to monitor our progress.

For example, one measure for determining how successful we are in addressing the problem of poverty concentration is to see how well we use our biggest housing subsidy program, the Section 8 Voucher program, to help families move out of high poverty neighborhoods.  We can track our success in using the Section 8 program to increase housing opportunities by:

  • increasing the number of families who are receiving subsidies for the first time who are successful in moving to lower poverty areas;
  • reducing the overall percentage of families in the program who are renting in high poverty areas;
  • increasing the number of participating families who move from an apartment in a high poverty area to an apartment in a lower poverty area;
  • increasing the number of landlord who participate in the program who have apartments in better neighborhoods.
     

 

Click here     wpe2.jpg (4459 bytes)  
for a broader understanding of the barriers to fair housing and
how the CCAP plan addresses those barriers.

 

The following material on Community Choice Plan Key Result Areas (KRAs), Key Result Measures (KRM) and strategies are from the report, Community Choice: Strategies for Promoting Fair Housing in Monroe County, November, 1996.


KRA 1:Use Section 8 to Improve Housing Choice
KRA 2: Provide More Housing in Non-Poverty Areas for Families in High Poverty Areas
KRA 3: Increase the Number of Affordable Units Throughout the County
KRA 4: Promote and Implement Fair Lending Practices 
KRA 5: Improve Real Estate Practices to Provide Greater Choice
KRA 6: & KRA 7: Increase Awareness of Fair Housing Laws and Compliance
KRA 8: Closer Link Between Training Programs and Private Sector Employment 

 


  

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KRA-1

INCREASE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE AREA’S SECTION 8 TENANT-BASED SUBSIDY PROGRAMS IN PROMOTING HOUSING CHOICE BY MINORITY HOUSEHOLDS TO HOUSING OUTSIDE AREAS OF HIGH POVERTY CONCENTRATION
Key Result Measure:

KRM-1 A: HIGHER FIRST TIME LEASE-UP RATE IN HOUSING LOCATE OUTS OUTSIDE AREAS OF HIGH POVERTY CONCENTRATION

KRM-1B: REDUCE LEASE-UPS IN HIGH POVERTY AREAS WITHIN 3 YEARS, EXCEPT FOR UNITS IN AREAS SUBJECT TO A COMPREHENSIVE REVITALIZATION STRATEGY OR FOR UNUSUAL HOUSEHOLD NEEDS

KRM-1C: INCREASE NUMBER OF MOVES BY CURRENTLY ASSISTED SECTION 8 PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS TO AREAS OF LOWER POVERTY CONCENTRATION

KRM-1 D: INCREASE NUMBER OF LANDLORDS PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM OFFERING UNITS IN LOWER POVERTY AREAS
Strategies:

1. City, County and towns identify and clearly state their expectations regarding increased Section 8 mobility to program administrators, including minimal targets.

2. Enhance the coordination of Section 8 programs with a new housing choice effort -- the Regional Opportunity Counseling Initiative ("Initiative") -- that will work to remove or lessen the impediments Section 8 families face in trying to use their tenant-based subsidies outside areas of high poverty concentration. The "Initiative" will involve a four-part strategy to:

    a. educate current Section 8 participants, new subsidy holders, and the public regarding the potential benefits of moves to areas of lower poverty concentration;

    b. provide participating households with the logistical information and services they will need to facilitate their moves;

    c. prepare families who choose to move to non-poverty areas with the background and skills they will need so that their moves will be successful; and

    d. provide follow-up support to those families who choose to move in order to maximize the satisfaction of those families and the participating landlords, and to have a favorable impact on the community.

3. Include the following program enhancements within the Section 8 program:

    a. develop an aggressive landlord outreach program to promote new HUD "landlord friendly" design;

    b. provide special accommodations to families participating in housing choice initiative such as search time extension, exception rents, and exception fair market levels;

    c. coordinate Section 8 subsidies with the requirements of other public benefits programs (such as public assistance, Social Security and SSI) to ensure that the participating Section 8 households optimize their potential to move to non-poverty areas;

    d. establish clear and direct lines of communication between Section 8 program administrators and the Regional Opportunity Counseling "Initiative;"

    e. distribute housing choice information on an ongoing basis (not just for new participants) with special emphasis in targeting households prior to annual re-certification or lease expiration;

    f. encourage use of lease terms that will facilitate moves to areas of lower poverty concentration, e.g., month-to-month leases for families who are unable to find housing outside high poverty areas; annual or longer term leases for families who are successful in finding housing in low poverty areas;

    g. add satellite offices in suburban areas.

4. Increase access to subsidies by minority families in high poverty areas:

    a. eliminate residency preference from each of the programs to prevent exclusion of minorities from access to subsidies;

    b. priority selection preference for families residing in high poverty areas who express a desire to live in lower poverty areas and who volunteer to participate in a housing choice initiative.

5. Eliminate inequities in Section 8/DSS shelter allowance budgeting for Certificate households so that subsidy holders (not DSS) get the benefit of the subsidy. (Alternative: DSS agrees to provide full shelter allowance for a limited number of Section 8 families who participate in a housing choice initiative.)

6. Undertake seminars for suburban landlords on the benefits and procedures of the Section 8 Program.

7. Expand the distribution of Section 8 materials to suburban town halls, libraries, etc.

8. Establish incentives so that landlords are encouraged to distribute applications by mail as well as on site.

9. Identify, as part of the "Initiative" and/or Section 8 programs themselves, units in non-poverty areas that would accommodate persons with special physical access needs, and make appropriate referrals.

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KRA-2

INCREASE THE UTILIZATION AND PRODUCTION OF LOWER COST UNITS IN LOW POVERTY AREAS FOR HOUSEHOLDS NOW RESIDING IN HIGH POVERTY AREAS

Key Result Measure:

KRM-2 A INCREASE NUMBER OF MOVES BY LOW INCOME NON-ASSISTED HOUSEHOLDS FROM AREAS OF HIGH POVERTY CONCENTRATION TO AREAS OF LOWER POVERTY CONCENTRATION

Strategies:

10. Tie into "Initiative" (described in KRA-1).

11. Establish a special rent supplement program provided on a demonstration basis limited to public assistance families and working families with very low incomes (w/o Section 8) who volunteer to move from areas of high poverty concentration and who agree to participate in the ‘‘Initiative."

12. Improve public transportation to assist city and county residents to have easier access to employment, social organizations, health care, child care, shopping and churches, and overall greater mobility. The Genesee Transportation Council and the Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA) should adopt a unified position that improved public transportation systems will advance the goal of de-concentration of poverty and greater choice of housing.

13. Improve access to existing private rental housing as a method for housing targeted groups.

14. Improve access to existing affordable housing stock in Monroe County for owner-occupant housing.

15. Establish incentives to encourage landlords to distribute applications by mail, in addition to having them on site.

16. Build collaborative ongoing relationships among fair housing organizations, other governments, advocacy groups, housing providers, real estate organizations, banks and other financial institutions, educational institutions, churches and the general public.

Key Result Measure:

KRM-2 B INCREASE AMOUNT OF SUBSIDY DOLLARS IN SUBURBAN AREAS FOR THE PURPOSE OF HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, INCLUDING PRIVATE SECTOR CONTRIBUTIONS
 

Strategies:

17. Expand the suburban scattered-site purchase and rehabilitation program and target residents now living in high poverty areas.

18. City and County should reach an understanding, for themselves and their cooperating non-profits, to coordinate applications to the state in order to overcome the fact that the competitive nature of funding programs, and other factors, dictate that existing areas of concentrated poverty receive disproportionately greater amounts of financing and resources.

19. Support the continuation of the Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit program.

20. Aggressively seek out the necessary subsidy dollars to facilitate very low, low, and moderate income family purchases of homes, e.g., New York State Affordable Housing Corporation, New York State Division of Housing & Community Renewal, Federal Home Loan Bank-Affordable Housing Program, SONYMA, Farmers Home, HOME, CDBG, United Way, Private Industry, Private Philanthropic Groups.

21. Coordinate affordable housing strategies with other area governments, including joint applications and incentives for mixed income developments.

22. Use of City Community Development Block Grant and HOME funds to support County low income housing initiatives in towns and villages.

23. Develop future mixed income, affordable housing developments in close proximity to suburban employers as an incentive to get their buy-in on mortgage subsidy programs.

24. Examine the feasibility of creating a local housing trust fund to reduce dependence and uncertainty associated with accessing<

Key Result Measure:

KRM-2 C ESTABLISH MECHANISMS TO IMPROVE INFORMATION EXCHANGE BETWEEN HOUSING CONSUMERS AND PROVIDERS OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
Strategies:

25. Design coordinated media strategies to disseminate affordable housing information to "protected classes."

26. Sponsor workshops that bring protected classes, affordable housing developers and service providers together.

27. Link special needs populations to affordable housing information sources.

28. Build collaborative ongoing relationships among fair housing organizations, other governments, advocacy groups, housing providers, real estate organizations, banks and other financial institutions, educational institutions, churches and the general public.
KRA-3

INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING THROUGHOUT MONROE COUNTY

Key Result Measure:

KRM-3 A INCREASE THE PRODUCTION OF NEW AFFORDABLE RENTAIL HOUSING DURING THE NEXT THREE YEARS

KRM-3 B INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY OF AFFORDABLE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES AND RENTAL HOUSING FOR LOW-TO-MODERATE INCOME FAMILIES, SENIOR CITIZENS AND HOUSEHOLDS THAT INCLUDE PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES DURING THE NEXT THREE YEARS
Strategies:

29. Advocate for Affordable Rental Housing in suburban locations.

    a. Participate in and provide advocacy training to all of the stakeholders;

    b. Complete an inventory of available sites for rental housing;

    c. Survey local governments to ascertain their priorities for affordable rental housing;

    d. Broker partnerships between experienced suburban developers and affordable rental housing advocates/providers.

30. Increase awareness, among investors and developers of affordable rental housing, of sources of financing, by developing and distributing a comprehensive directory of sources of financing for affordable rental housing.

31. Investigate RHA’s ability to participate in owning, managing or increasing affordable housing units throughout Monroe County, particularly for very low income households e.g., providing project-based Section 8 certificates to enhance project feasibility.

32. Evaluate creating 501(c)3 subsidiary of RHA for innovative approaches to rental housing and/or utilizing its bonding capacity to finance such housing throughout Monroe County.

33. Evaluate the feasibility of initiating agreements between RHA and local municipalities to foster the development of affordable rental housing.

34. Facilitate the construction of new single-family affordable housing subdivisions, e.g., First Place – Rochester, Hilton Hills and Park Place - Hilton; Blackwatch Hills - Churchville; Huckleberry Woods -Henrietta.

35. Encourage the use of a scattered site approach to construct affordable housing units e.g., Home Expo - Rochester; Habitat for Humanity; New York State Affordable Housing Corporation Single-Family Affordable Housing - Scottsville, Brockport, Hilton, Churchville, Chili, Hamlin, and East Rochester.

36. Encourage and provide the technical assistance to local municipalities to assist them in developing and implementing new and innovative approaches which facilitate the development of affordable housing, such as:

    a. Mixed-income development;

    b. Incentive zoning;

    c. Infrastructure requirement reductions/modifications;

    d. Building code modifications to remove barriers; and

    e. Taxation policies, e.g., develop a model PILOT agreement.

37. Identify and coordinate the disposition of publicly owned land for affordable housing development (Housing and Urban Development, New York State Division of Housing & Community Renewal, New York State Department of Transportation, New York State Department of Mental Hygiene, Monroe County, Local Municipalities, Monroe County Water Authority, Federal Government, Quasi-Public Property, Local School Districts).

38. Provide financial and technical assistance to affordable housing providers at the local and county levels of government.

39. Recommend incorporating fair housing goals and strategies into local planning documents and laws.

40. Develop a training module in conjunction with the bar associations which will educate municipal planning and zoning officials of their affordable housing obligations as established by the New York State Court of Appeals Case, Berenson v. New Castle and as recently affirmed in the Continental Building Co. v. North Salem decision by the Appellate Division in Albany.

41. Develop innovative approaches to financing and implementing affordable for-sale housing which have the ability to expand opportunities for targeted market segments (households below 50% MFI), e.g., rent-to-own, land contracts, community land trust, Section 9 Home Ownership option demonstration, etc.

42. Develop balanced and complementary approaches to serving targeted populations which take into account current and projected market conditions and demographic trends, e.g., facilitate lower income elderly households in efforts to obtain smaller housing units while making their current housing available to larger households on an affordable basis.
KRA 4

PROMOTE AND IMPLEMENT FAIR LENDING PRACTICES
Key Result Measure:

KRM 4 A INCREASE THE NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF MORTGAGE APPROVALS FOR MINORITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY

Strategies:

43. Develop a process with lending institutions that indentifys the source of an applicant's bad credit and develop a strategy for eliminating that credit problem in the low income/ minority community.

44. Encourage lending institutions to focus on consumer credit needs and on providing good accessible products for consumer credit in order to short-cut bad credit problems.

45. Increase the use of medial to in form consumers of credit traps presented by secondary financing sources.

46. Create parallel consumer credit products that complement home ownership programs.

47. Create a community home buyer liaison program including intensive outreach, counseling and referrals tied to the "Initiative and/or Home Store.

48. Develop a consumer training module for low income persons involved in the "Initiative" which focuses on high interest rates charged by rental centers, car dealerships, etc.

49. Create a risk loan pool managed and funded by financial institutions as a way of financial.

50. Continue local CRA monitoring.

51. Increase the capacity of financial and non-financial institutions to participate in the mortgage origination process, i.e. remove existing personal income disincentives from the mortgage origination process in the urban area; increase the capacity of housing counseling agencies to provide mortgage origination services to local financial institutions.
KRA - 5

INCREASE REAL ESTATE PRACTICES IN MONROE COUNTY TO ENHANCE HOUSING CHOICE FOR ALL RESIDENTS OF THE METROPOLITAN AREA
Key Result Measure:

KRM -5 A INCREASE REALTOR PARTICIPATION IN LISIING AND ACTIVELY SELLING RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY IN THE CITY OF ROCHESTER, ESPECIALLY TARGETING MIDDLE INCOME BUYERS
KRM-5 B INCREASE NUMBER OF MINORITY REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS

Strategies:

52. Within the Home Store, develop a Realtor support program that provides the Realtor selling in the City of Rochester with listing and advertising assistance.

53. Develop and implement a major City living advertising campaign designed to enhance the City's real estate market for middle income buyers.

54. Continue to develop and implementation of home ownership revitalization programs in the City, such as Home Expo, Home Rochester, HAP, and new construction subdivisions.

55. Increase minority access to home ownership through a partnership with the Real Estate Board.

56. Support the extension if the Greater Rochester Association of Realtor's training programs to encourage minorities to enter the real estate profession.

57. Establish incentives to encourage landlords to distribute applications by mail in addition to having them on site.

58. Review the content and applicability of the Voluntary Affirmative Marketing Agreement (VAMA) between HUD and the Greater Rochester Association of Realtors.
KRA-6

PROMOTE AND IMPLEMENT FAIR HOUSING STRATEGIES THAT INCREASE COMPLIANCE WITH FAIR HOUSING LAWS

Key Result Measure:

KRM-6 A INCENTIVES PROVIDED TO FACILITATE HOUSING CHOICES FOR ALL PROTECTED CLASSES

KRM-6 B IMPROVED ACCESS TO FAIR HOUSING INFORMATION, INCLUDING OPPORTUNITIES AND LIMITATIONS

KRM-6 C ESTABLISH A COUNTYWIDE FAIR HOUSING COMPLIANCE PROGRAM

KRM-6 D INCREASE COMPLIANCE WITH FAIR HOUSING LAWS
Strategies:

59. Continue and expand existing efforts to incorporate fair housing goals and strategies into local planning documents and laws.

60. Develop a training module in conjunction with bar associations which will educate municipal planning and zoning officials of their affordable housing obligations as established by the New York State Court of Appeals Case Berenson v. New Castle and as recently affirmed in the Continental Building Co. v. North Salem decision by the Appellate Division in Albany.

61. Pursue adoption of local fair housing laws that would permit communities to be eligible for federal assistance.

62. Provide funding and other forms of assistance for monitoring to determine the presence of discriminatory practices in lending and real estate activities.

63. Work with bar associations to provide training to lawyers on private enforcement options for fair housing compliance, e.g., the Buffalo training and referral model.

64. Continue and enhance self-enforcement measures by real estate and lender communities.

65. Pursue technical and financial assistance from HUD and New York State for fair housing activities.
KRA-7

CREATE APPRECIATION FOR EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES AND THE MEANS FOR REALIZING THEM

Key Result Measure:

KRM-VII A INCREASE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDING OF THE BENEFITS OF HOUSING DIVERSITY WHILE ELIMINATING MISCONCEPTIONS OF FAIR HOUSING REQUIREMENTS

KRM-7 B INCREASE PARTICIPATION OF DIVERSE POPULATION GROUPS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF FAIR HOUSING STRATEGIES
Strategies:

66. Design coordinated educational programs.

67. Develop advocacy and leadership training for officials and residents of suburban communities.

68. Design coordinated media strategies to distribute positive and informative fair housing materials.

69. Recommend incorporating fair housing goals and strategies into local planning documents and laws.

70. Build collaborative ongoing relationships among fair housing organizations, other governments, advocacy groups, housing providers, real estate organizations, banks and other financial institutions, educational institutions, churches and the general public.

71. Promote the concept of "visitability," e.g., one no-step entrance and 32" door clearance in all new construction.

69. Recommend incorporating fair housing goals and strategies into local planning documents and laws.

70. Build collaborative ongoing relationships among fair housing organizations, other governments, advocacy groups, housing providers, real estate organizations, banks and other financial institutions, educational institutions, churches and the general public.

71. Promote the concept of "visitability," e.g., one no-step entrance and 32" door clearance in all new construction.
KRA - 8

INCREASE JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR MEMBERS OF THE PROTECTED CLASSES WITH EMPLOYERS THROUGHOUT MONROE COUNTY

Key Result Measure:

KRM-8 A  PROMOTE CLOSER TIES BETWEEN THE CITY AND COUNTY OFFICES OF EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING AND PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF MARKETING THE PROTECTED CLASSES AS AN EMPLOYEE BASE
Strategies:

74. Target suburban employers by providing existing incentives to hire members of the protected classes to fill vacancies and to provide training opportunities. Provide information on the advantages for these employers to contribute towards the cost of providing public transportation services for their employees and the advantages of offering mortgage assistance services to their employees that choose to relocate in closer proximity to the employer.

75. Develop future affordable housing projects in close proximity to current employers and work with them to develop employer-assisted mortgage products.

76. Increase affordable child care facilities located in key areas of the county to facilitate better access to jobs and public transportation.

77. Create more effective use of RHA Section 3 strategies to provide jobs for the protected class residing in public housing.

78. Better align and coordinate City, County and Rochester Housing Authority Section 3 strategies with JTPA funding to provide greater employment opportunities for members of the protected classes.

79. Coordinate the anti-poverty strategies contained in the City’s and County’s Consolidated Plans to ensure synergy.

80. Review the use of income disregards for the purpose of providing work incentives, e.g., public housing, Section 236, Section 8 and welfare program definitions of "income."

81. Improve public transportation to assist City and County residents to have easier access to employment, social organizations, health care, child care, shopping and churches and overall greater mobility. The Genesee Transportation Council and the Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA) should adopt a unified position that improved public transportation systems will advance the goal of deconcentration of poverty and greater choice of housing.

 

 

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