Colorado Republican Party Platform Resolution Proposal

This proposal is being submitted and distributed to the Colorado Republican Caucus as a resolution for the Republican Party Platform. “:)”

• Proposal
  Colorado Republican Party Platform Resolution

  March 1, 2016

  Opposition to the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule

  The Colorado Republican Party Supports:

  • S. Senate bill S.1909 (withdraw the AFFH Tool)
  • House bill H.R.1995 opposing the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule
  • Opposition to HUD’s AFFH Rule and Data Mapping Tool as published in the AFFH Rule Guidebook Dec. 31, 2015

  Opposition to the AFFH rule does not change Republican support of the Fair Housing Act nor the Civil Rights Act.  Specifically our opposition is against HUD’s AFFH Rule and Data Mapping Tool as published Dec. 31, 2015.

  Although the Republican Party may agree with anti-discrimination goals, we do not agree with HUD’s rule, the tool, and the approach defined in the AFFH Rule Guide book, published Dec. 31, 2015 that mandates:

  It should be noted that providing affordable housing is not synonymous with AFFH. While the concepts may be related, there is distinction between AFFH strategies and strategies to provide affordable housing. Providing affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families is not, in and of itself, sufficient to affirmatively further fair housing. The delivery of decent, safe, and affordable housing provides a useful service, but by itself does not necessarily fulfill the goals and purposes of affirmatively further fair housing.

  To affirmatively further fair housing, a program participant must take steps to ensure that the housing is available regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or familial status. The program participant also must consider the location of affordable housing and strategically leverage affordable housing as a means to overcome patterns of segregation, promote fair housing choice, and eliminate disparities in access to opportunity and disproportionate housing needs.

  It should also be noted that future AFFH Plan participants within HUD jurisdictions must provide a plan submitted as early as Oct. 5, 2016 to overcome patterns of segregation and eliminate racial imbalances for plans scheduled to go into effect July 1, 2017.  The timeliness of this schedule avoid political debate before the presidential election and the cost of using the new tools puts an excessive burden on AFFH Plan Participants.

  This statement was developed using HUD provided artifacts now available on www.affh.net, specifically:
  (1)  The Final AFFH Rule, http://affh.net/2015/07/16/hud-announces-final-rule-on-affh/
  (2)  The Assessment of Fair Housing, AFH, Tool, http://affh.net/2016/01/30/the-assessment-of-fair-housing-afh-tool/
  (3)  AFFH Data Mapping Tool (AFFHT), http://affh.net/2016/01/29/affh-data-mapping-tool-affht/