As practitioners on the ground in many communities, and as a HUD TA provider, WFN is often among the first to hear of policy changes and updates that affect grantees and their programs. And because we provide the full-time management of HUD and other federal grant programs for entitlement grantees, WFN knows firsthand the challenges faced by practitioners in implementing new regulations and guidance – and has developed innovative approaches to doing so. When grantees trust WFN with their training and complex technical assistance needs, they receive practical advice that works in the real world from professionals with unparalleled access to HUD’s decision-makers.
In August 2013, WFN was selected to serve as the lead firm to complete a Fair Housing and Equity Assessment (FHEA) for the Mid-South Greenprint and Sustainability Plan. The FHEA is an opportunity for communities to bring together the region’s diverse stakeholders to critically examine the housing and infrastructure dynamics that enhance or limit opportunity, and to develop outcome-oriented strategies that can address the region’s fair housing challenges. The study covered nearly one (1) million residents and spanned four (4) counties in three (3) states.
Through the FHEA process, a wide range of community features were evaluated for their effects on equity and fairness in housing choices for the region’s residents. By reviewing features such as land use, segregation patterns, and the equity of public infrastructure investments, regions can plan for greater sustainability and prosperity for all.
Unlike previous AIs conducted locally by members of the HUD Sustainable Communities partnership, the FHEA is both local and regional in scope, requires more meaningful public engagement, and considers issues of fair housing in a broader framework. Like the proposed AFH format, the FHEA provides analysis of HUD-provided datasets on segregation, racially-concentrated areas of poverty, and access to areas of opportunity. The resulting document, will be used to help local and regional policymakers make informed and targeted decisions about policy and investment to advance fair housing opportunity throughout the region.
Mid-South Greenprint and Sustainability Plan –
Shelby County, Tennessee, HUD Sustainable Communities Grantee
Fair Housing and Equity Assessment (FHEA):
