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Year 2003 Addendum to: Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing & Fair Housing Action Plan Adopted 4 A pn. I , 2005 Prepared by: The City of Moscow Fair Housing Commission 200';- iQ ---PAGE BREAK--- I. INTRODUCTION Since the completion and adoption of the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing and Fair Housing Action Plan (hereinafter "the Plan") on March 17, 2003, the City of Moscow Fair Housing Commission (hereinafter "the Commission") has pursued the task of acting on and resolving the impediments to fair housing that were identified in the Plan. The Commission concentrated its efforts on several of the Fair Housing Action Items provided in the Plan. II. FAIR HOUSING ACTION ITEMS NOS. 2 AND 3 These Items provided on pages 20 and 21 of the Plan addressed the issue of a lack of zoning which would permit multifamily housing in the eastern portion of Moscow in the City's Comprehensive Plan and its Zoning Code. The concern is that multifamily housing in Moscow has become concentrated in a few portions of the City, which may have fair housing implications. Subsequently, several multifamily projects were proposed for construction in the eastern portion of Moscow and the City's Community Development Department relied in part on the Plan in considering the rezoning applications for the development of these projects and the eventual approval of rezoning in order to permit these projects to be constructed. III. FAIR HOUSING ACTION ITEM NO.6 This Item provided on page 25 of the Plan addressed the issue of a lack of knowledge and training specifically regarding the design and construction requirements of the Fair Housing Act among architects, builders, contractors, developers and engineers. In order to address this Item, the Commission sponsored a fair housing training at the University of Idaho's School of Architecture during its Professional Practices class for architecture students on November 7, 2003. In addition to fair housing training, the Commission purchased and provided each student with a copy of the Fair Housing Design Manual published by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (hereinafter "HUD"). The Commission also began distribution of free copies of the Fair Housing Design Manual through the City's Community Development Department to all persons involved in the development and construction of multifamily housing, as well as to any other individuals who request a copy. IV. FAIR HOUSING ACTION ITEMS NOS. 6, 7, 8, AND 9 These Items provided on pages 25-27 of the Plan addressed the issue of a general lack of education and understanding of the requirements of the Fair Housing Act among architects, builders, developers, engineers, property managers, landlords, realtors, and social service agencies. In order to address these Items, the Commission sponsored a fair housing training that was free and open to the public on November 19, 2003 at the University ofldaho College of Law. This training was co-sponsored by the University of 1 ---PAGE BREAK--- Idaho's Office of Diversity and by the Intermountain Fair Housing Council located in Boise, Idaho. To advertise the training, the Commission completed a major mailing of flyers to rental housing providers, architectural firms, attorneys, housing developers, social service agencies and realtors. Also, the Commission placed posters throughout the community and the University ofldaho campus, and the training was advertised in the local newspaper and the City's cable channel. Approximately 60-70 people attended the training, which lasted approximately three hours. The Commission also promoted fair housing awareness by running educational advertisements in the local newspaper and placing posters throughout the community during the month of April2003 in support of"April is Fair Housing Month". V. MISCELLANEOUS ACTIVITIES The City submitted the Plan as a supporting document in a successful Community Development Block Grant application to HUD. The City was awarded $500,000 to assist in various revitalization projects throughout the community, including the improvement of disabled access in the downtown area. The Commission periodically received various proposed amendments to City ordinances and codes for review for fair housing implications, and kept abreast of fair housing issues locally, statewide and nationally. It also began studying affordable housing issues and monitored the construction of several federally subsidized affordable housing projects in Moscow. The Commission began research of the HUD Section 8 rent subsidy program and its effect on the availability of affordable housing in Moscow. The Commission observed that although the average rent is significantly higher in Moscow compared to the surrounding communities in Idaho, such a differential is not reflected in a higher subsidy amount in the Section 8 program. The Commission began discussions with the Idaho Housing and Finance Association, which administers the Section 8 program in Idaho, regarding the possibility of making changes to the program to account for this rent differential. Andrew Ackerman, Fair Housing Resource Representative 2