City explores fair housing powers
May 8—HIGH POINT — High Point would have new investigative and enforcement authority over housing discrimination cases under a priority being pursued by a city commission.
The Human Relations Commission, a group of volunteers appointed by the City Council, is exploring the possibility of High Point being certified as a Fair Housing Agency by the federal government.
"I strongly believe this is a bedrock principle of High Point being a welcoming and vibrant community," said Rase McCray, a former commission member who was recently named the city's human relations manager. "We view this as a huge opportunity for the city."
High Point has jurisdiction over minimum housing code violations, which involve the condition of a property, but complaints of discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender and other factors are handled by the N.C. Human Relations Commission.
High Point in 2007 adopted a fair housing ordinance, but it was repealed in 2016 after city officials determined it was unenforceable because it did not meet U.S. Housing and Urban Development standards.
If High Point elects to pursue the idea again, the procedure would be for the council to adopt a local ordinance that establishes the Human Relations Division as a Fair Housing Assistance Program and have it approved by HUD, McCray said.
"We wouldn't actually be enacting necessarily any laws or rules that are different than already exist," he said. "So the City Council would pass a law that says, all those things that exist on the federal level, we're agreeing with them in the exact same way at the city. We already know that law applies, but we're going to set up an agency here in the city to then investigate and do the same kind of thing."
Besides handling fair housing cases, he said, the city would also have access to funding for new training and outreach opportunities for residents and housing providers.
"One thing sometimes forgotten is, if we were to become a Fair Housing Agency, that also means an influx of federal money to support education and training," McCray said. "I think that enforcement and education is obviously an important point, but it's always important to remember that other side."
The Human Relations Commission is forming a subcommittee to work with landlords, Realtors, city staff and others to explore the idea in detail.
"This subcommittee will have a series of workshops in the coming months," McCray said. "I am hopeful that their ultimate findings will be the basis for staff and senior city leadership to make a recommendation to council, including the possibility of any new federally-equivalent ordinances, as well as any organizational and resource needs."
He said the council's selection this week of Tasha Logan Ford as city manager could also give momentum to the idea. Logan Ford is an assistant manager for Winston-Salem, one of four cities in North Carolina, along with Orange County, that has a fair housing program.
"I think that's really exciting, especially with the hiring of a new city manager," McCray said. "They have a really robust Fair Housing Agency in Winston, so I think this is a great opportunity for us to explore this right now."
pkimbrough@hpenews.com — 336-888-3531
