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City of Toledo Affirms its Commitment to Fair Housing and
Preserves Core Civil Rights Protections Gutted by HUD
Ordinance upholds the
City of Toledo's commitment to Affirmatively Furthering Fair
Housing (AFFH) by addressing residential segregation and
other historic inequities
The City of Toledo recently
passed legislation to uphold its commitment to housing
equity and preserve fundamental civil rights protections. An
ordinance drafted by The Fair Housing Center was introduced
by Councilmembers Theresa Gadus, Nick Komives and Sam Melden
in response to new Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH)
regulations issued by HUD that will effectively gut a key
policy designed to dismantle residential segregation and
promote neighborhood choice.
AFFH is a longstanding fair housing enforcement tool that
requires local entities to identify and proactively address
housing barriers, and the new ordinance will ensure this
critical work continues in the City of Toledo.
"I couldn't be more proud to
see our area housing advocates continuing to push the
envelope in affordable, sustainable housing," said Toledo
City Councilmember Komives. "The AFFH ordinance will allow
us to monitor ourselves and provide valuable data and
insight into the state of housing in our city. Toledo
deserves nothing less than a city that cares for all of its
residents."
"When our federal government
attempts to destroy core civil rights protections that have
been in place for half a century, it's up to our local
communities to take a stand," stated Marie Flannery,
president and CEO of The Fair Housing Center. "To our
knowledge, Toledo is the first city in the country to take
this important step and we're grateful that our local
leaders recognize the value of inclusive, vibrant
communities. Fair housing means more than having a place to
live; it means living in a neighborhood where you can access
education, employment, transportation, health care, and
other vital resources. AFFH is a critical fair housing
enforcement tool that holds local communities accountable
for addressing barriers to housing choice and promoting
integration, so that everyone has the chance to live in a
neighborhood where they can thrive and succeed."
"As soon as HUD's new rule
was released, The Fair Housing Center drafted a local
ordinance that would continue the AFFH requirements locally
and asked our City Council to pass it," said George Thomas,
vice president and General Counsel of The Fair Housing
Center. "When local jurisdictions like Toledo commit
themselves to continuing this work, it means that these
protections will be in place long into the future,
regardless of what changes occur at the federal level. We
hope cities across the country follow Toledo's example."
"HUD's decision to end the
regulations that brought about this work is deeply
misguided," stated Rev. Donald Perryman, PhD, president and
founder of United Pastors for Social Empowerment. "By
passing this ordinance, Toledo sends a message of solidarity
and continuity of purpose. Even where the federal government
hopes to end our progress, we-as a community-commit to the
march forward."
"With the events unfolding
over the last few months across this country, it's clear
that people are calling on leaders and elected officials to
take meaningful steps to dismantle historic inequities -
AFFH is one tool to do that," stated Ray Wood, president of
the Toledo Branch NAACP and Board Member of The Fair Housing
Center. "Now is not the time to be rolling back civil rights
protections. Passing this ordinance is a way for the City of
Toledo to demonstrate that this community is welcoming and
inclusive for everyone. This is precisely the kind of step
that communities throughout the country should be taking in
order to protect the right to safe, stable, affordable
housing-not just for some, but for all."
Neighborhood segregation is
the result of deliberate policies such as redlining, which
systematically blocked people of color from homeownership
for decades and contributed to disinvestment in racially
diverse neighborhoods, the effect of which can still be seen
today. Decisions about zoning regulations, transportation
funding, and affordable housing development are dictated by
local communities, and these policies impact a person's
ability to access neighborhoods of opportunity. AFFH
provides a framework for communities to improve housing
equity by recognizing and correcting the discriminatory
practices that led to racially exclusive neighborhoods and
ensuring policies foster inclusion.
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