1994-07 CDBG/Fair HousingRESOLUTION NO. 94-7
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF OKEECHOBEE RECOMMENDING
APPROVAL OF THE FAIR HOUSING EVALUATION FOR THE
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM, PROVIDING
FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the City of Okeechobee has evaluated the fair housing position within
the City of Okeechobee for the Community Development Block Grant program, and
WHEREAS, the City of Okeechobee has written a "City of Okeechobee Fair
Housing Evaluation", assessing local conditions for fair housing choices.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City o
Okeechobee as follows:
1. That the City of Okeechobee hereby adopts the City of Okeechobee Fair
Housing Evaluation.
This Resolution was introduced and passed this 15th day of February , 1994.
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ATTEST:
Bonnie S, homas, CMC
City Clerk
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James E. Kirk, Mayor
CITY OF OKEECHOBEE FLORIDA
FAIR HOUSING EVALUATION
I. Background
The City of Okeechobee has taken a positive stance to ensure that no
discrimination exists with regard to equal opportunity forital persons of
all races, classes, sex, ethnic groups, religion, age,
familial status, and any and all similar potential discriminatory
groups in their quest for Fair Housing in the community. A Fair
Housing Ordinance (FHO) has been adopted and is in effect in
furtherance of this affirmative action. Other positive actions
regularly take place and the Council possesses an acute awareness of
the need to ensure this
attitude
furthersfostered
commitmentthroughout all levels of
the community. This review
II. Overview of Local Conditions
The jurisdiction makes provisions for all types of housing, subject to
state density limits where public water and sewer are unavailable, and
does not require costly materials or construction methods, excessive
lot sizes, expensive landscaping, complicated permitting procedures, or
other similar restrictive measures. Regulations in place preserve
individual choice and attempt to enhance a family atmosphere and
ensure or enhance health and safety for the entire population while
protecting the environment and preserving the natural beauty of the
area.
III. Local Housing Market Analysis
The analysis reveals some concentrations of minority groups and some
concentrations of person of similar background, belief or other factors
which lead to clustering, not in a discriminate fashion, but rather, in
a free choice mode of selection. Some of these concentrations may be
the result of:
a. Availability and utilization of heir property which is either
voluntary as a result of economic need to obtain housing and/or housing
sites without land costs and/or mortgages. This facet does tend to
create clusters of close knit family groups of the same background
which positively contributes to maintaince of family bonds.
b. Concentrations of lower cost housing availability in mobile parks,
modular home communities and other similar groupings constructed by
developers or agencies targeted toward providing affordable housing to
individuals whose income require them to purchase or rent housing in
these low income areas. The economic need associated with this
clustering tendency is a matter of reality and beyond the City's
ability to impact.
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C. Lack of understanding or lack of information regarding:
• (1) availability of rental property or of land or homes for sale
without regard for minority status or,
(2) procedures involved in selecting and financing a home, i.e.,
lack of knowledge.
d. Perception that fair housing opportunities are unavailable due to
discrimination, prejudice or other similar factors. This individual
perception is typically based on past experience or may have been
obtained elsewhere, or may result from deeply ingrained attitudes
acquired over time, with awareness or impact of affirmative action
events occurring over the last several years.
e. Previous discrimination in housing, either in lending, zoning,
other regulations, education, real estate sales, and so forth, which
may have influenced family location, which subsequently after positive
actions to alleviate, eliminate or abate those factors, has not changed
geographic location, even though opportunity now exists, because of
economics or personal choice.
f. Establishment and/or maintenance, either previously or recently,
of multi -generation family units, often from necessity such as health
or economics, so that elderly, handicapped, ill, young, pregnant,
unemployed, unmarried, etc all family members are not displaced from
their homes and to ensure that loving, economical family care and
security is available. This factor, while typically motivated by bonds
and bloodlines, may also be the result of the local unavailabilty, or
the local uneconomic availability, of the special needs required by
these, and other persons, which require special or group housing.
IV. Review of Regulations
The City's documents were reviewed to determine inclusion, inference or
existence of barriers or impediments to achievement of Fair Housing
goals in the community. The review concluded that these locally
adopted documents meet minimum State imposed requirements, but do not
significantly farther. Further, it was determined that the following
status exists:
a. Policies, procedures and regulations. No barriers or impediments
found.
b. Land development regulations, zoning and building codes, and
related regulations. No barriers or impediments found.
C. Comprehensive Plan. No barriers or impediments found.
d. Ordinances. No barriers or impediments found, with the exception
of the omission of "age" as non-discriminatory factor in several
local documents.
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e. Personnel policies and procedures. No barriers or impediments
found.
f. Assignments to committees, boards, advisory committees, and other
local recognized bodies. No standing barriers or impediments
found, however, composition of some bodies may indicate a
disparity of minority participation or membership.
V. Statement of Local Policy Goals
The City respects the rights of individuals to select the location and
type of their tereriand
does
interfere
do desireeto;nal choice
or the free enterprise system of housing.
a. assist the local housing industry to create more choices of
affordable housing and to ensure their availability to all local
residents, and
b. assist all local residents in understanding their housing
opportunities, rights and responsibilities, and
C. assist handicapped and elderly persons in overcoming barriers to
accessibility in their homes, and
d. assist providers of housing for person(s) which special needs in
making needed housing available, and
e. assist the local real estate brokers and agents in furthering
their understanding of the principles and requirements of the fair
housing ordinance and local goals to ensure a truly "fair" rent or
purchase opportunity for all persons, and
f. assist local bankers, mortgage institutions and other lenders in
furthering their understanding of the principles and requirements
of the fair housing ordinance and local goals to ensure a truly
"fair" loan or mortgage opportunity for all persons, and
9. participate in any and all available programs which may work to
improve availability, affordability and quality of housing for
all, and
h. conduct educational or promotional drives, blitzes, or programs to
further understanding of fair housing opportunities and
requirements, and
i. provide, to the extent possible by fiscal and/or personnel
constraints, a counseling program which will educate all residents
on fair housing goals, mortgages, special programs, their rights,
and other similar subjects which will improve each individuals
depth of knowledge and aid in the homeownership decision process.
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IV. Barriers or Impediments
.a. Lack of minority representation or participation on some local
committees, advisory groups and councils.
b. Inadequate education process to make potential homeowners, and
others, aware of fair housing opportunities and requirements.
C. Lack of local area jobs sufficient to provide opportunity for
betterment for persons interested in upward mobility from a
housing standpoint.
d. Lack of infrastructure to attract new business which would
provide needed jobs.
e. Little turnover in local housing market primarily due to
economic circumstances.
f. Economic impediments which prohibit many homeowners from improving
the quality of their current or proposed residence.
g. Inadequate communication network to make all persons aware of
fair housing requirements and opportunities.
h. lack of, or inadequate, homeownership counseling availability.
VII. Remedial Actions taken or Planned to Ameliorate Barriers or
Impediments_ r Positively Enhance Fair—Housing.
a. A Fair Housing Ordinance has been adopted to prohibit
discrimination in housing.
b. Local government support of fair housing opportunities and
opposition to discrimination has been advertised.
C. Educational and promotional activities in support of fair
housing have been conducted.
d. Local regulations have been reviewed and sanitized to eliminate
housing bias or discriminatory requirements.
e. The education process is being expanded to ensure awareness of
fair housing availability. Public service announcements,
handouts or flyers, posters and other similar forms of
information dissemination are being utilized.
f. Local communications network is being expanded to include
all media mediums.
g. A counseling program is being originated to improve knowlelge
base of persons covered by fair housing policies through the
SHIP program.
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h. CDBG application is being
improve the housing stock,
activites which impact low
VII. Review Procedures
submitted to upgrade and
infrastructure, or other eligible
to low moderate -income families.
This evaluation will be reviewed at least annually with any newly
identified barriers, impediments or other factors which negatively
impact fair housing added to Section VI. Plans to deal with those
issues will also be identified and Section VII updated at the same
time. Official action taken by the elected body to resolve or act on
any issue will be identified in the minutes of the Council meeting in
which such action occurred.
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