Press release from the City of Fort Wayne:
Mayor Henry invites public to fair housing meetings
Discover what issues affect fair housing in Fort WayneFort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry encourages residents to attend one of the upcoming public meetings this month to discuss fair housing and discrimination in the community.
“We have been working with experts in the fair housing analysis field to take a good look at our community and where people live, and whether they choose where they live, “said Mayor Henry. “Fair housing choice means people should get to live in the neighborhoods and school districts where they want to live in the neighborhoods and school districts where they want to live, and not have barriers put up by outright discrimination.”
Public meetings will be held at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Aug. 25, both in meeting room C of the Allen County Public Library downtown. Residents are welcome to choose whichever meeting time is convenient.
In each meeting, Engaging Solutions, LLC will provide a brief overview of how they have conducted the research and analysis in Fort Wayne, and the results they’ve found thus far. Not only have they combed through existing polices and plans, but they have conducted focus groups and collected surveys from stakeholders in the field. Public comment will be welcome and recorded at both meetings as part of the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (A-I).
The A-I is part of the City’s Consolidated Plan. The plan is a detailed, five-year plan that serves as the application to the Department of Housing and Urban Development for federal funds. HUD funding comes to the City with the purpose of improving the quality of life for low- and moderate-income residents. The plan is the document that shows, through public input and documentation, which needs are greatest in the community and the priority for addressing those needs.
“As has been a theme of my administration with public input, it’s so important that we hear from many voices as we assemble this plan,” said Mayor Henry. “HUD funds allow Fort Wayne to set our own priorities and determine the best use for available funding. This is an opportunity when local people set the agenda for federal money, which doesn’t always happen. We have public meetings, we invite comment on our website and we take great care to share information among the entire community.”
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