Siting Affordable Housing in Opportunity Neighborhoods: An Assessment of HUD’s Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Mapping Tool

ABSTRACT

In this article, we examine the content and structure of the new affirmatively furthering fair housing mapping tool (AFFH-T) developed by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as part of its new assessment of fair housing (AFH) process. Our analysis is focused on the degree to which the data included in the AFFH-T is suitable for the development of plans to site affordable housing in opportunity neighborhoods, and the utility of this tool as a public participation GIS (PPGIS) platform. Our analysis highlights strengths and weaknesses of the AFFH-T and we offer recommendations for its further development.

KEYWORDS:

• Affirmatively furthering fair housing (AFFH)
• opportunity neighborhoods
• public participation GIS (PPGIS)

Acknowledgments

The work that provided the basis for this publication was supported by funding under a grant with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The substance and findings of the work are dedicated to the public. The author(s) and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government. We thank the Journal of Community Practice’s editor and three anonymous reviewers for their comments on earlier versions of this article.

Notes

1. See 80 FR 42271 (July 16, 2015)

2. HUD rolled out the AFH process in 2016 requiring 22 jurisdictions to conduct studies. In subsequent years all community development block grant jurisdictions, public housing authorities, and other jurisdictions participating in HUD programs will be scheduled to complete the AFH process.

3. Buffalo was initially assigned a January 14, 2017 due date for its AFH. This due date was later changed to the fall of 2018 to align it with the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority’s AFH due date and the deadline for reporting the city’s next consolidated plan.

4. This due date was later changed at the city’s request to align its AFH report with the 2018 due date assigned to the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority’s and the 2018 deadline for reporting the city’s next consolidated plan.