Equal Opportunities CommissionMeeting Agenda - February 20, 2019

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PUBLIC NOTICE & AGENDAEQUAL OPPORTUNITIES COMMISSION

City Hall Forum - 100 State Street, Beloit, WI 535115:45 PM

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL

2. MINUTES2.a. Approval of Minutes of the December 19, 2018 Meeting

Attachment

3. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

4. UPDATE ON ANALYSIS OF IMPEDIMENTS TO FAIR HOUSING (AI) PROCESS4.a. Fair Housing Surveys

Attachment4.b. Status of Recommendations of 2012 AI and Activities Undertaken to Reduce Identified

ImpedimentsAttachment 1Attachment 2Attachment 3

5. REPORTS5.a. Review of Recent Outreach Activities and Consideration of Future Activities, including EOC

Workshops

5.b. Review of New EOC Subcommittees

5.c. Discussion of Fair Housing Month ActivitiesAttachment 1Attachment 2

5.d. Discussion and Recommendation to the City Council Regarding Recognition of Holidays

6. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

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Beloit Equal Opportunities CommissionMeeting Agenda - February 20, 2019

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7. ADJOURNMENT7.a. Next Regular Meeting Date: April 17, 2019

** Please note that, upon reasonable notice, at least 24 hours in advance, efforts will be made to accommodate theneeds of disabled individuals through appropriate aids and services. For additional information to request this service,please contact the City Clerk's Office at 364-6680, 100 State Street, Beloit, WI 53511.

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CITY HALL • 100 STATE STREET • BELOIT, WI 53511

MEETING MINUTES BELOIT EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES COMMISSION

Wednesday, December 19, 2018 at 5:30 PM The Forum, First Floor

Beloit City Hall, 100 State Street

1. Call to Order and Roll Call Chairperson Howland called the meeting to order at 5:38pm. Commissioners Howland, Gross, Miller, and Councilor Blakeley were present. Commissioner Artreche, Saffold, and Mohorko were absent.

2. Approval of Minutes of the October 17, 2018 Meeting Commissioner Miller moved to approve the minutes of the October 17, 2018 meeting. Commissioner Blakeley seconded the motion. The motion passed.

3. Public Participation There were no members of the public present who wished to participate.

4. Review and Recommend City Council Proclamation Recognizing Second Monday in October as “Indigenous People’s Day”

Commissioner Howland clarified one aspect of the request. The EOC is requesting that the Proclamation is taken to City Council for approval at the first meeting in October.

Billy Bob Grahn, a representative from the Chippewa Tribe (Mad River Band), addressed the Commission. He provided background on his personal history and the ways in which being a Native American affected his life growing up in Chippewa and Madison. His tribe elder assigned him the task of eliminating the acknowledgement of Columbus Day.

Billy Bob also noted how many cities in the United States have eliminated Columbus Day and have moved forward with Proclamations recognizing Indigenous People’s Day. Billy Bob explained how the falsified history of Christopher Columbus has affected Native American’s lives.

Commissioner Miller questioned what future action steps could be taken after the Proclamation of Indigenous People’s Day.

Billy Bob explained that the School District of Janesville heard his recommendation. They also went one step further and sent the information to the State Board of Education of Wisconsin. He said that he had also spoken with newly-elected Governor Tony Evers about this subject, and, although there is not much that can be done at this 3

CITY HALL • 100 STATE STREET • BELOIT, WI 53511

point in time, Mr. Evers was understanding and approachable about moving towards a better future for Native Americans in the State of Wisconsin.

The Commission discussed how changes could be brought to the city, with particular attention to the School District of Beloit and the City of Beloit. Commissioners and Billy Bob also discussed that there have been both positive and negative reactions to sharing the lesser known truth regarding Christopher Columbus.

Billy Bob shared further information regarding how Native Americans have been affected. For example, he is required to carry a Federally-issued ID in order to avoid arrest for practicing his religion.

Commissioner Gross inquired if younger generations were being trained in the history of their tribes. Billy Bob explained that his (and a neighboring) tribal elders have started going out to local schools to teach the language of their tribe.

Commissioner Howland suggested that the EOC host a workshop (and invite City officials, school board members, and local institutions of higher education) in the beginning of October 2019 to spread knowledge about Indigenous People. He also suggested expanding on a call to action in April 2019.

Commissioner Gross moved to approve the motion. Commissioner Miller seconded the motion. The motion passed, voice vote.

5. Review of Recent Outreach Activities and Consideration of Future Activities, including EOC Workshops

Commissioner Miller suggested that the EOC work with the Beloit Historical Society on an on-going basis to offer educational workshops on the various cultures in the City of Beloit.

Councilor Blakeley shared a document with the commission entitled “Commemorative Days/Months for Minorities & Disabilities.” She suggested that this buildable document might be used as a guide future workshops/cultural education.

Commissioner Miller suggested that the EOC also host a workshop to bring information to the public regarding Fair Housing and Housing Discrimination.

6. Review of New EOC Subcommittees

Commissioner Miller summarized the first meeting of the Subcommittee. She stated that the first task will be to create a Best Practices survey to be shared with the different communities within the City of Beloit.

Commissioner Gross requested to join the Beloit Poverty Task. She is a Nationally Certified Poverty Coach. Commissioner Gross also volunteered to host a workshop addressing poverty.

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CITY HALL • 100 STATE STREET • BELOIT, WI 53511

7. Update on Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Process

Ms. Downing summarized the first meeting regarding the Analysis. She noted that the City of Beloit’s data will be differentiated from other communities in Rock County.

Commissioner Gross has been assigned as the representative from the EOC to be on the steering committee. She shared the survey data with the Commission, noting that they are available online, in person, or in text. She will share the link with the Commission.

8. Discussion and Recommendation to the City Council Regarding Recognition of Holidays

Commissioner Howland recommended moving this agenda item to the next meeting.

9. Commissioner Comments and Upcoming Events

Commissioner Miller suggested inviting local lending institutions to a meeting. Ms. Downing suggested finding a lender to become a member of the EOC.

10. Next Regular Meeting Date: February 20, 2019

11. Adjournment Commissioner Gross moved for adjournment. Commissioner Miller seconded the motion. The motion passed, voice vote. The meeting adjourned at 6:40pm.

Minutes respectfully submitted by Ashley Rosenbaum

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CITY HALL • 100 STATE STREET • BELOIT, WI 53511

Report to the Beloit Equal Opportunities Commission

Agenda Item: 4a

Topic: Update on Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing - Fair Housing Surveys

Action: Information Only

Staff Report:

The City of Beloit along with other municipalities in Rock County has contracted with Milwaukee Metropolitan Fair Housing Council (MMFHC) to draft a regional Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing (AI) document. MMFHC has many years of experience with housing discrimination education, outreach, investigations, and research and has drafted numerous AIs, including regional AIs for other Wisconsin municipalities and consortiums.

MMFHC has drafted the surveys for the public which will be distributed at follows:

1. Emails to local lists: Neighborhood groups, block watch groups, or other boards and committees that may be part of your respective networks.

2. Links on websites: A link may be added to your respective organization’s websites. Social Media

3. MMFHC will post on our channels, and are asking that we distribute as appropriate as well.

4. Paper Copies: A printable version of the survey will be available for distribution.

Staff Recommendation:

Information Only

Attachments:

Fair Housing Surveys

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CITY HALL • 100 STATE STREET • BELOIT, WI 53511

Report to the Beloit Equal Opportunities Commission

Agenda Item: 4b

Topic: Status of Recommendations of 2012 AI and Activities Undertaken to Reduce Identified Impediments

Action: Discussion

Staff Report: Milwaukee Metropolitan Fair Housing Council (MMFHC) is draft a regional Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing (AI) document. In the updated AI, MMFHC must report on the status of the recommendations from the most recent AI and report what actions the EOC has taken towards reducing the impediments to fair housing choice.

Since City Council has delegated Fair Housing activities to the EOC, once this document is drafted, the EOC is expected to act on the recommendations to reduce or eliminate the impediments identified by this study.

Historical Context/Background:

The City of Beloit receives Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). One of the many, but important requirements for continued receipt of this funding is to affirmatively further fair housing. HUD requires the City to draft an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing (AI) document, with community input, in conjunction with the City's 5-year Consolidated Plan for CDBG.

The purpose of the AI is to identify practices and conditions in the City of Beloit that are impeding housing opportunities for residents because of their protected class. Fair housing impediments include direct discriminatory actions, omissions or decisions related to membership in a protected class, or indirect actions, omissions or decisions that have the effect of restricting housing choices for people specifically because of their protected class membership.

Over the last few years, HUD has made many changes regarding its written documentation with regard to affirmatively furthering fair housing; one of which is . the preference to have cities submit "regional" plans with their neighboring communities.

Staff Recommendation: Complete the information requested by MMFHC regarding actions.

Attachments: Impediments and recommendations from 2012 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing

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City of Beloit 73Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing

Identification ofImpediments to Fair Housing Choice

An impediment to fair housing in anything that may hinder or prevent a person from havingequal access to housing because of membership in protected class.

In addition to the analyses presented above, the AI process included surveys, interviews withCity staff, community leaders, consultation with a focus group, and a thorough review processwith the Beloit Equal Opportunities and Human Relations Commission (EOHRC). The resultsof these activities are incorporated into the following identification of impediments and relatedrecommendations.

Fair Housing ConcernsFair housing concerns consist of policies or practices that are not deemed impediments, but havethe potential to turn into impediments if left as they are. These concerns should be reevaluated ona regular basis as it relates to fair housing.

Building CodesThe building codes do not seem to pose an impediment to accessibility. The codes are currentand proactive with regard to multi-family units. Unfortunately, the age of the housing stockmay pose a barrier for visitability purposes. The City may wish to examine alternative waysof addressing this issue.

Boards and Commission CompositionOrdinances regarding all of the boards and commissions of the City include the statementwith regard to membership that the body “should reflect the diverse nature of the City’spopulation.” However, it appears that this requirement may be implemented only informally.No formal mechanism for tracking the composition of boards and commissions with regardto race, gender, age currently exists.

However, the EOHRC has historically sought out needed members for the Commission. TheCommission has proactively recruited and enlisted the participation of individualsrepresenting a variety of ethnic groups and racial groups who were subsequently appointedby the City Council.

Lack of Mortgage Applications by Black HouseholdsThe EOHRC noted that the HMDA data herein shows a major discrepancy in the number ofblack applicants for first mortgages compared to non-minority applicants. The HMDA data istoo limited to glean whether this is an accurate representation of all applications overdifferent types of financial institutions, such as national lenders and mortgage companies.

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City of Beloit 74Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing

The City should research this subject further in order to explore whether there are fairlending issues.

Public Sector Impediments

Inconsistent Administration of the Fair Housing CodeThere are a number of concerns regarding the way in which the City has administered theChapter 20 Fair Housing Code. Since 2004, the staff liaison to the Equal Opportunitiesand Human Relations Commission (EOHRC) has changed a number of times. In 2004,these responsibilities were administered jointly by the Human Resources Division and aconsultant. From 2005 to mid-2007, the responsibilities were administered by the BeloitHousing Authority. From 2007 and 2008, the Housing Services Division took over theseduties. And from 2009 to present, a staff person in the Community DevelopmentDepartment has been assigned to the EOHRC and its associated duties.

The constant change in staff liaison has resulted in much confusion by the public andCity staff regarding where to direct Fair Housing complaints. There was a majordeterioration in outreach efforts with a sharp drop in the number of complaints in 2007and 2008. Documentation varies greatly from file to file over the years and proceduresoftentimes did not follow what is required by ordinance. No documentation of trainingfor changeover of staff or the EOHRC was found.

Lack of Bi-Lingual City Staff for Housing ProgramsThe Hispanic population of the City has grown 800% over the last ten years. It isbecoming increasingly apparent that simply producing bi-lingual material is not enoughto serve these citizens. Specific concern is with the lack of bi-lingual staff in the housingrelated divisions of the City; the Housing Authority, Code Enforcement, and the HousingLoan Programs. Although translated material can offer much needed information, withone bi-lingual staff to field questions or assist with applications and other housing forms,oftentimes Spanish speaking clients are unable to be assisted unless they bring someoneto translate. There is evidence that staff is aware of and taking proactive steps to meetthese needs in all areas of municipal function. However, the need to recruit and retain bi-lingual staff is an area of concern. It was reported that the Police and Fire Departmentshave begun the conscious process of hiring bi-lingual staff members.

Limited Number of Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8)The Beloit Housing Authority has 598 Section 8 Vouchers and consistently has a waitinglist of over 500 applicants. Historically, applicants are on the list for approximately oneto three years before they receive a voucher. The focus group indicated there is a greatpreference in the community for Section 8 vouchers because unlike other subsidizedhousing, the participant has a choice in where to live.

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City of Beloit 75Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing

Low Payment Standards for Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8)The focus group and the EOHRC raised a concern that Housing Choice voucher holdersare (1) limited in their choice and quality of housing and, (2) are being driven to low-income and minority concentrated areas of the City due to low payment standards. Ofparticular concern was the two-bedroom payment standard which is extremely low.Section 8 payment standards cap the amount of rent subsidy the Housing Authority canpay as well as the portion a family is allowed to pay based on unit size.

Beloit Housing Authority payment standards are lower than the other Section 8 programoperating in the community, and are lower than the amount of rent a landlord couldreceive if they were to rent to a non-Section 8 family. This is resulting in a drop inlandlord participation in the program, which reduces the number of units available topersons seeking housing. Low payment standards also limit the choice in location ofhousing for households on this program. Units with lower rental amounts areconcentrated in the same areas as low income and minority concentrated areas in Beloit.The current Section 8 waiting list consists of 600 applicants, of whom 63% are AfricanAmerican, 6% are Hispanic, and 3% are multi-racial. These areas are also the same areasthat have older housing stock, which are more likely to have accessibility issues.

Private Sector Impediments

Supply of Subsidized and Rental HousingThe primary concerns in Beloit seem to be that the City carries a disproportionate numberof the County’s subsidized households. The issue isn’t affordability, its adequacy. Thereare concerns that the quality of the housing stock, particularly rental housing is not whatit could be.

Origination and Denial RatesThe previous discussion regarding HMDA data indicates that loan origination rates arelower in census tracts 16, 17, and 18 where non-white populations exceed 25%.However, the consensus among focus group participants and interviewees was that thefinancial community was taking a very progressive approach to meeting their fair housingrequirements. Participants cited a variety of efforts to work with Neighborhood HousingServices to create homeownership educational programs.

However, the focus group and the EOHRC noted that there is still a lack of generalfinancial literacy programs in the community. This is resulting in major credit issues thatare preventing families from qualifying for mortgages.

Language BarriersLimited English Proficiency (LEP) has come to the forefront of housing issues with therecent increase in Beloit’s Latino population. Many of these people face language

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City of Beloit 76Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing

barriers regarding the ability to read and understand leases and mortgage documents andthey may not realize whether they are facing a fair housing issue.

An emerging issue among LEP residents has become Latino/Spanish speakingindividuals taking advantage of other Latino/Spanish speaking individuals because thevictims tend to trust people who speak their own language. According to the serviceproviders in our focus group, housing problems are in the form of inappropriate/illegalevictions, excessive fees, or simply failing to take care of a property. An example of thiswas evident when a large multi-unit property in Beloit was discovered to have no heat,major fire hazards, mold, and was so poorly maintained that the buildings were postedunfit for human habitation. According to many of the Latino/Spanish speaking tenants,the Latina/Bi-lingual property manager threatened eviction or being reported toImmigration if they complained to the City.

Another recent issue is that of land contracts. LEP individuals are signing land contractsthat are written in English and have terms that are not fully understood by the buyer.Oftentimes the buyer realizes much later that they have agreed to terms they would nothave agreed to had they known what the document said. The City is seeing an increase inmatters like this.

There has been progress however in mortgage lending. Most of the City’s local lendinginstitutions have added bi-lingual mortgage staff and some of them have ITIN loanoptions. These specialists understand the local housing environment and have beensuccessful in assisting LEP individuals in making home purchases with traditionallending products. Neighborhood Housing Services of Beloit also provides free homebuyer education, credit counseling, and lending services in English and Spanish. TheLatino Service Providers Coalition and Stateline Literacy Council are providing Englishclasses for little or no fee, and will assist individuals with translation when needed.

Resident OppositionThere were two proposed housing developments that received major resident oppositionsince 2004. One proposal was the development of mixed income public housing and theother development was a multi-unit affordable elderly housing complex to be built withtax credits. In both instances, the public was notified and residents attended publichearings in opposition of the developments. The first proposal did not move forward, andalthough the second proposal was approved, the developer was unable to get approved forthe tax credits.

Lack of Community Advocacy Groups for Disabled Persons and Persons with HIVAlthough there are a wide range of advocacy groups that are active in social services,community support, and housing activities, what continues to be lacking is well-organized advocacy on behalf of disabled persons. Advocates from Long Term support,and Beloit’s Community Support Program identified complicated issues regarding

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City of Beloit 77Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing

persons with mental illness and their ability to find and/or keep housing.

The City of Beloit’s previous AI reported that persons with HIV were reported as havingdifficulties finding housing. Yet, the City reached out to the local AIDS Network byphone, email, and mail to participate in the focus group for this AI but received noresponse.

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City of Beloit 78Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing

Recommended Actions to PromoteFair Housing Choice

Recommendation #1: Provide Consistent Responsibility for Administration of the City’sFair Housing CodeThe City of Beloit should assign a single Department or Division to be responsible for theaccurate administration of the City’s Fair Housing Code. This Department or Division shouldalso be responsible for ensuring that appropriate training occurs in the event of staff changes.The Department or Division Head would have the opportunity on an annual basis to review fairhousing activities and outline fair housing goals during the course of annual performancereviews of staff.

Recommendation #2: Continue Fair Housing Outreach and EducationThe City’s current outreach and education consisting of flyers, brochures, and educationalseminars is critical to keeping the community informed of the fair housing rights and processes.The City has begun to reach out to landlords and property managers as well to educate landlordson the rights of their tenants. This two pronged approach of educating both sides of the equation,will discourage discriminatory practices and provide victims the information needed to protecttheir rights. The City should also continue to take part in events during the Fair Housing Monthof April to bring awareness to housing discrimination and garner more support for efforts toeliminate the issue.

Recommendation #3: Educate Public Officials and Relevant Groups regarding Low-income/Tax Credit ProjectsThe City should provide education to community and public officials, relevant boards, anddevelopers as early as possible when a tax credit or low/mixed income project is movingforward. The City should involve / partner with neighborhood and other advocacy groups toeducate the community regarding mixed income and low income tax credit projects.Neighborhood opposition can limit the ability to develop and can affect siting of affordablehousing.

Recommendation #4: Provide Education Regarding Housing Contracts to LinguisticallyIsolated HouseholdsThe City should develop an initiative to proactively educate non-English/limited-Englishspeaking persons about housing related contracts. This can be done with informational handouts,brochures, referrals to resources, and educational seminars. The City may want to partner with anorganization that serves this demographic to provide education regarding leases and landcontracts.

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City of Beloit 79Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing

Recommendation #5: Continue to Reach Out to the Disabled CommunityThe City should actively seek input from advocacy groups and agencies that provide services topersons with disabilities in order to discover fair housing concerns, find better ways to reach thisdemographic, and incorporate changes in education efforts specific to the disabled community.

Recommendation #6: Further Research the Low Number of Mortgage Applicants amongAfrican AmericansThe City should encourage agencies to promote their lending and credit improvement programsat agencies serving minorities, to ensure that minorities are aware of these opportunities.Currently the City funds a number of different programs that provide financial literacy andhomeownership education to low-to-moderate income individuals. Minorities represent a largeportion of the low-to-moderate income population in Beloit.

Recommendation #7: Explore Options in the Housing Choice Voucher Program to Increasethe Payment Standards and the Number of Vouchers Available to the Housing AuthorityThe focus group and the EOHRC noted the limitations that the current Voucher program poses toits participants. The City should explore other ways to increase its capacity in Beloit. One optioncould be to explore obtaining specialty vouchers such as Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing(VASH) or Family Unification Program (FUP) vouchers to assist special populations.

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Status of Recommendations from 2012 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing

Recommendations Status

Recommendation 1: Provide Consistent Responsibility for Administration of the City’s Fair Housing Code

Recommendation 2: Continue Fair Housing Outreach and Education

Recommendation 3: Educate Public Officials and Relevant Groups regarding Low income Tax Credit Projects

Recommendation 4: Provide Education Regarding Housing Contracts to Linguistically Isolated Households

Recommendation 5: Continue to Reach Out to the Disabled Community

Recommendation 6: Further Research the Low Number of Mortgage Applicants among African Americans

Recommendation 7: Explore Options in the Housing Choice Voucher Program to Increase the Payment Standards and the Number of Vouchers Available to the Housing Authority

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CITY HALL • 100 STATE STREET • BELOIT, WI 53511

Report to the Beloit Equal Opportunities Commission

Agenda Item: 5c

Topic: Fair Housing Month Activities

Action: Discussion Only

Staff Report:

April is Fair Housing month. The EOC typically does some activity/ies during April to bring awareness to the issue of Fair Housing. I have listed some suggestions and examples below:

The City Council has historically passed a Fair Housing Proclamation at their first meeting in April. The proclamation is attached for your review and approval. It would go before Council on April 2, 2018. The Chair or Vice Chair of EOC usually accepts the Proclamation at Council and makes some remarks regarding housing discrimination/fair housing.

Please provide any ideas or suggestions you may have for Fair Housing Month this year.

Staff Recommendation:

Approve the Fair Housing Proclamation, Suggest other Activities

Attachments:

Fair Housing Proclamation

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RESOLUTION RECOGNIZIING APRIL AS NATIONAL FAIR HOUSING MONTH

WHEREAS, April 2019 marks the 51st Anniversary of the National Fair Housing Law, Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, and therefore is an appropriate time for all citizens to reflect on the principles which led to a national policy of fair and equal housing opportunities across the United States; and

WHEREAS, fair and equal opportunity in housing means that persons of equal income have the same access to the sale, rental, and financing of all housing regardless of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, family status, marital status, sexual orientation, age, or ancestry; and

WHEREAS, Fair Housing is the policy of the City of Beloit and the implementation of that policy requires the positive commitment, involvement, and support of each of our citizens.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Beloit City Council does hereby proclaim the month of April 2019 as "FAIR HOUSING MONTH" and does hereby encourage all citizens to abide by the letter and spirit of the Fair Housing Laws, and asks the citizens of the city to join in reaffirming the obligation and commitment to fair housing opportunities for all.

Adopted this 1st day of April 2019.

City Council of the City of Beloit

________________________________________ Kevin Leavy, Council President

Attest:

______________________________________ Lorena Rae Stottler, City Clerk

Published this _______ day of ________________________, 2019.

Effective this _______day of ________________________, 2019.

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