Interested in participating in the Baltimore region’s fair housing plans? There is now a primer for residents and municipalities to use, to introduce readers to fair housing principals.
Chicago-area Oak Park Regional Housing Center published the Building Community, Building Opportunity handbook, which shows municipalities new ways in which they can produce fair housing for more residents. This handbook contains strategic planning concepts for fair housing along with a list of possible flaws and blocks in legislation that may impede fair housing choice. Among the strategic planning concepts: “solicit local lenders for affirmative lending plans and require local residential builders during the permit process to provide affirmative marketing plans”.
This resource is intended as an introductory tool to help communities gain experience with the planning and implementation process. The book highlights policies and underused assets that could help bring about fair housing to light and can help create a solid foundation for future progress. There are several helpful chapters that can make any beginner understand how to make new and innovative ideas with the housing.
The first chapter discusses the Fair Housing Policy, a group of legislation that have a direct affect on the housing situation such as the Civil Rights Act and the Housing and Community Development Act, in detail and gives the reader a basic understanding of the way it works. In addition to the Fair Housing Act , the handbook also goes into brief descriptions of several other related laws that may help in the planning of communities. Other chapters feature the Benefits of Fair Housing, Strategic Planning and Measurable Goals, Impediments to Fair Housing, and a Fair Housing Action Plan.
