Community Engagement and Jurisdiction Self-reflection
See MDP’s self-assessments for guidance on how to engage community members in the fair housing planning process.
Example Analyses of Fair Housing
State of Maryland 2015 Analysis of Impediments (MD 2015 AI) to Fair Housing Choice for Maryland Non-Entitlement Communities: The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) completed this analysis to meet HUD requirements to assess the State of Maryland’s and DHCD’s work to ensure fair housing for residents of federally protected classes. The MD 2015 AI uses census, HUD, DHCD, Maryland Department of Health, and Maryland State Data Center Data, as well as Home Mortgage Disclosure Act and private data, to analyze fair housing successes, progress, and barriers in Maryland. The document uses this analysis to consider state policies and actions needed to further fair housing, including recommendations in the areas of funding, marketing, public education, housing staff training, and others. Jurisdictions developing a local assessment of fair housing may want to consider modeling their approach, albeit at a scaled down level, on the methodology used in the MD 2015 AI.
Baltimore Metropolitan Council's 2020 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice in the Baltimore Region (BMC 2020 AI): The BMC 2020 AI includes a comparable analysis to DHCD’s 2015 AI, but for the Baltimore Region. This document details and measures the success of local fair actions and goals, including demographic patterns and disparities in access to opportunity. The BMC 2020 AI includes sections on zoning, land use, and fair housing enforcement which may inform similar sections in housing elements. The appendices summarize stakeholder feedback and provide AFFH data tables that jurisdictions might consider replicating.
Assessment of Fair Housing Tool for Local Governments: The AFFH webpage describes the assessment tool as to be used “by local government and any collaborating program participants that choose to conduct and Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH).” The tool, while more extensive than needed for most jurisdictions completing a housing element in line with the requirements of Land Use Article §3-114, provides helpful prompts and suggestions for assessing existing and previous fair housing actions, analyzing fair housing conditions, and developing fair housing goals and priorities.
Fair Housing Goals, Policies, Actions, and Best Practices
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Furthering Fair Housing: This webpage highlights example goals and actions from across the country that Maryland jurisdictions can reference when developing their own. The webpage also includes a repository of fair housing plans and AFFH research that may inform the development of housing elements meeting the requirements of HB 90.
State of Maryland 2015 Fair Housing Analysis: The MD 2015 AI, summarized above, includes a fair housing action plan starting on page 112. While these actions are designed at the state level, many could be translated into meaningful local actions.
Baltimore Metropolitan Council's 2020 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice in the Baltimore Region (BMC 2020 AI): Section X of the BMC 2020 AI summarizes factors contributing to unfair housing and details regional and local actions that should be applied to countering these factors, including responsible implementation parties, metrics, and milestones.
Local Housing Solutions: The Local Housing Solutions website is an excellent resource for housing planners, one which Planning already highlights in our Housing Element Models & Guidelines. The policy brief linked in the name of this section details meaningful place-based and mobility strategies and actions to affirmatively further fair housing.
To learn more or ask questions about affirmatively furthering fair housing, please contact Carter Reitman, Lead Housing Planner for the Maryland Department of Planning at carter.reitman2@maryland.gov.
