A recent ruling from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development will re-enforce fair housing laws across the country, and that spells changes for the way policies are enacted in New York City, WNYC reports.
The current laws call for the NYC Department of City Planning to file reports to the HUD on its housing integration efforts on an annual basis, with a small window of time devoted to public comment. In the most recent report, this period lasted just two weeks and not a single comment was made.
Now, under the new law, the Department of City Planning will be forced to discuss policies with advocacy groups and the community-at-large, allowing the public to directly engage with the city government in how its fair housing policies are enacted. If the city does not comply with the ruling, it could lose millions in federal funds.
"In a city like New York with a lot of real estate pressure, [the new rules] really give community groups and residents a voice to say, this is what we're seeing, this is what we're concerned about," said Barika Williams, deputy director of the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development, Inc.
· What Stricter Federal Housing Rules Will Mean for NYC [WNYC via TRD]
· All Fair Housing Act coverage [Curbed]