Under the proposed Rule, cities and counties that receive HUD grant funds, including the City of Los Angeles, would be required to prepare fair housing studies called Equity Plans

City of Los Angeles 2023 – 2028 Assessment of Fair Housing

Source: https://housing2.lacity.org/residents/assessment-of-fair-housing

The Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) and the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) are collaborating to update the City of Los Angeles’ Assessment of Fair Housing Plan.  The City’s 2023-2028 Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH) will examine whether everyone has similar choices for housing regardless of protected class. Learn more about how this process will engage Angelenos. Federally protected classes include race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, religion, disability, and families with children.  California state law also prohibits discrimination in housing for other protected classes due to age, ancestry, citizenship and immigration status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, language, sexual orientation, source of income, and veteran status.

The AFH will:

  • Identify the primary conditions that limit fair housing access in Los Angeles;
  • Recommend and prioritize actions to address these limiting conditions in order to:
    • Reduce segregation;
    • Eliminate racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty;
    • Reduce disparities in access to community assets; and
    • Reduce disproportionate levels of housing need for families with children, people with disabilities, and people of different races, ethnicities, and national origins; and
  • Outline goals, milestones, and metrics for implementing actions to address fair housing issues in Los Angeles.

The community’s opinions and perceptions are an important part of this planning process, and everyone is invited to participate. Your input has and will continue to provide essential information to local policymakers, LAHD and HACLA staff, housing providers, fair housing organizations, social service providers, lenders, and affordable housing advocates.

As we embark on the development of this AFH study, we’ll use this page to keep the public up-to-date on the plan’s progress. We look forward to hearing from you throughout the AFH process!

 

HUD’s Proposed AFFH Rule

In February 2023, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published a proposed Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) Rule that outlines potential new regulations for how communities study fair housing. Under the proposed Rule, cities and counties that receive HUD grant funds, including the City of Los Angeles, would be required to prepare fair housing studies called Equity Plans. An Equity Plan would contain many of the same analyses as an Assessment of Fair Housing, with a focus on goals to overcome patterns of segregation and foster inclusive communities with fair access to housing and neighborhood opportunity. HUD accepted comments on their proposed rule through April 24, 2023. The City of Los Angeles submitted comments in response to the proposed AFFH Rule. To learn more about the Rule, please visit HUD’s Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing webpage.

Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH) Draft

The City’s 2023-2028 Assessment of Fair Housing draft is currently available for a 45-day public comment period from Wednesday, October 25, 2023 to Friday, December 8, 2023. Please access the document by clicking here

During the public comment period, hard copies of the AFH draft will also be available at LAHD’s public counters and the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles’ (HACLA) offices and public housing sites for review while on site.

Written comments or questions on the AFH draft will be accepted during the comment period via email to lahd.afhpolicy@lacity.org or forwarded by mail to Los Angeles Housing Department, 1200 W. 7th Street, 9th Floor, Los Angeles, CA  90017, Attention: Nancy Twum-Akwaboah. Written comments can be submitted until Friday, December 8, 2023 at 5:00p.m. 

Verbal and written comments will also be accepted on Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at the City’s public hearing at LA Trade-Tech College (LATTC), 400 West Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90015, Meeting space: LATTC Culinary Arts E3-106A. This hearing is scheduled from 6:00p.m. – 8:00p.m. Please register in advance by visiting this link: Public Hearing Registration

We look forward to you joining us!

Virtual Fair Housing Community Meetings

Upcoming Meeting on Fair Housing Goals and Strategies – October 18, 2023 
LAHD and HACLA are holding a public meeting to discuss the City’s five-year fair housing goals and strategies that include specific metrics, milestones, and timelines. Please join us on Wednesday, October 18th from 2pm-3:30pm to contribute to the development of key AFH goals and strategies. Your input is important to the City’s process and we want to hear from you! Please register in advance to receive the Zoom meeting link and gain access: Public Meeting Registration- Goals & Strategies.

Previous Meetings
LAHD and HACLA hosted seven community meetings to discuss the City’s AFH Plan in December 2022. The meetings provided information on federal, state, and local fair housing protections and sought input from community members on housing barriers and their experiences. Attendees discussed housing needs in their community, fair housing issues, and opportunities for improvement. The meetings targeted specific areas of the city but were open to all.  YouTube video recordings of each community meeting are available below. Note: Sign language interpretation can be found in the West Los Angeles meeting recording.

Stakeholder and Other Community Events

In March 2023, LAHD and HACLA held 10 AFH stakeholder sessions with service providers, agency directors, non-profit organizations, and rental property owners to discuss various topics. Please see video links below to access all of the meeting recordings.  Members of the public will have additional opportunities to participate in meetings on the AFH before the report is drafted and finalized.

  • Neighborhoods and environmental health – Monday, March 6, 2023 – https://youtu.be/6Kf0ujs6Cyc
    https://www.youtube.com/embed/6Kf0ujs6Cyc
  • Education, employment and housing access – Monday, March 6, 2023 – https://youtu.be/W3yiT0_LBaU
    https://www.youtube.com/embed/W3yiT0_LBaU
  • Rental and for-sale housing access – Tuesday, March 7, 2023 – https://youtu.be/tRtc5k9ud2g
    https://www.youtube.com/embed/tRtc5k9ud2g
  • Affordable housing development and finance – Tuesday, March 7, 2023 – https://youtu.be/HCTEaYnzp-0
    https://www.youtube.com/embed/HCTEaYnzp-0
  • LGBTQ+ awareness and housing – Wednesday, March 8, 2023 – https://youtu.be/WguWKFYJSBg
    https://www.youtube.com/embed/WguWKFYJSBg
  • Fair housing advocacy, tenant protections, and anti-displacement – Wednesday, March 8, 2023 – https://youtu.be/qiLfMRwb4g4
    https://www.youtube.com/embed/qiLfMRwb4g4
  • Racial inequity in housing access/Access to housing for immigrants and refugees – Thursday, March 9, 2023 – https://youtu.be/NLc0u91oAH0
    https://www.youtube.com/embed/NLc0u91oAH0
  • Homelessness/services for homeless individuals with special needs and services for those in crisis – Thursday, March 9, 2023 – https://youtu.be/5R8vRCP_D34
    https://www.youtube.com/embed/5R8vRCP_D34
  • Disabilities, mental health, and housing – Thursday, March 16, 2023 – https://youtu.be/Y388wdA2EuY
    https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y388wdA2EuY
  • Housing challenges for the aging network – Wednesday, March 29, 2023 – https://youtu.be/9_Fz3WHWzz0
    https://www.youtube.com/embed/9_Fz3WHWzz0

Timeline of Other Events 

  • Community meetings led by Liberty Hill Foundation and various community-based organizations: February – early April 2023
  • Draft AFH plan available for public comment: September – November 2023
  • Review and approval of the City’s draft AFH: December 2023 – January 2024

Stay Informed

Send your e-mail address to lahd.afhpolicy@lacity.org to request to be added to our contact list to receive updates on the project, including information on attending community workshops, reviewing discussion input from meetings and workshops, and commenting on the draft plan when it becomes available. Please include: “Add to Contact List” in the email subject line.

Contact LAHD at lahd.afhpolicy@lacity.org with any questions or comments about the AFH.

City of Los Angeles’ Previous 2018-2023 Assessment of Fair Housing

Click on the following links to download the AFH Plan

AFH Plan (Full version)

I.     Executive Summary (English) | Executive Summary (Spanish)

II.    Fair Housing Goals and Priorities

III.   Appendices

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