Kettering takes step to continue receiving federal housing funds

The city of Kettering has approved a five-year fair housing plan it is submitting, along with the city of Dayton and Montgomery County, to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to meet a requirement needed to continue to qualify for federal funding.

The plan includes steps the three local governments will take to address 14 impediments to fair housing found in an analysis completed by the Miami Valley Fair Housing Center.

“The analysis of impediments is a regional issue, not a city-by-city thing,” said Kettering planning director Tom Robillard. “Since we’re all in Montgomery County, (HUD) encouraged us to work together.”

Some of the impediments identified in the study include: lack of affordable and accessible housing for people with disabilities, income disparity and steering contributing to racial segregation and barriers to fair housing because of gender identity.

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Kettering worked with representatives from Montgomery County and the city of Dayton to develop the Regional Fair Housing Plan.

“It was just good to have it documented and to see just how big of an impact some of those things may have been having in the community,” said Joshua Ward, senior civil rights investigator for Dayton Human Relations Council.

In 2016, Kettering received $486,652 in Community Development Block Grant funding, and $150,000 in HOME funding.

“What we spend our money on primarily isn’t necessarily affordable housing projects, we spend our money on rehab of existing homes,” said Robillard, adding “$500,000 is a nice chunk of money but it doesn’t really go a long way.”

Kettering and Dayton receive funds separate from Montgomery County based on their respective populations. Kettering has over 56,000 residents according to Census data from 2010.

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The Regional Fair Housing plan, which Kettering City Council approved in January, is essential in the city’s ability to improve homes for families in lower socioeconomic classes.

The city uses the funds to assist low-to-moderate income families and to rehabilitate homes, as well as help address some of the impediments found in the analysis.

For example, funding from HUD could be used to address a lack of affordable and accessible housing for persons with disabilities by making modifications like ramps, grab bars or adding strobe smoke detectors to homes.

Addressing other impediments aren’t as recognizable on the surface.

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The analysis notes racial segregation as “a persistent impediment of fair housing in the region due to income disparity, dual housing markets, and continued steering in the real estate market based on color, race and ethnicity.”

Ward says that one of the most effective ways to combat housing discrimination is through education and “testing”, which he likened to a “secret shopper” program.

In testing, paired individuals will pose as potential homeowners or renters. One of the individuals would represent a protected class, with both having similar profiles. The two then separately attempt to buy a house or rent an apartment and “test” to see if there’s any discrimination in the treatment they received.

According to the plan developed for HUD, annual regional forums with lenders and brokers for “continued education” on racial steering will be held, starting this year.

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