Eden Prairie Fair Housing Policy

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Purpose/Vision

Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act establishes federal policy for providing fair housing throughout the United States. The intent of Title VIII is to ensure equal housing opportunities for all citizens. Furthermore, the City of Eden Prairie, as a recipient of federal community development funds under Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, is obligated to certify that it will affirmatively further fair housing.

The City of Eden Prairie is committed to meeting these obligations, and has developed this Fair Housing Policy to further these goals.

Fair Housing Policy Statement

It is the policy and commitment of the City of Eden Prairie to ensure that fair and equal housing opportunities are granted to all persons in all housing opportunities and development activities funded by the City regardless of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, familial status, national origin, or disability. This shall be done through strong external policies that provide meaningful access to all constituents and fair housing informational and referral services; and internal practices and procedures that do not discriminate and that affirmatively further fair housing.

External Practices

Fair Housing Officer

The City of Eden Prairie has designated the Community Services Specialist as the City’s Fair Housing Officer. The Fair Housing Officer will be responsible for the intake, processing, and referral of all fair housing complaints. While not expected to be an expert in fair housing laws, at a minimum the Officer will be familiar with state and federal fair housing laws, the complaint process for filing discrimination complaints, and the state and federal agencies that handle complaints.

Records showing the date, time and nature of the fair housing complaint, as well as the decisions made regarding the complaint process (referrals, information given, etc.) and any follow-up action will be documented. The Fair Housing Officer will also monitor City activities affecting fair housing and raise issues and concerns where appropriate.

Internal Practices

The City of Eden Prairie commits to the following steps to promote awareness and sensitivity to fair housing issues in all of its government functions.

Staff and Officials Training — The City will periodically train its staff and elected officials on fair housing considerations.

Housing Analysis — The City will review its housing inventory periodically to examine the affordability of both rental and owner-occupied housing to inform future City actions.

Code Analysis — The City will review its municipal code periodically, with specific focus on ordinances related to zoning and building and occupancy standards to identify any potential for disparate impact or disparate treatment.

Project Planning and Analysis — The City will make determinations in project planning with an eye to fair housing issues, including whether potential projects may perpetuate segregation or lead to displacement of protected classes.

Community Engagement — The City commits to ongoing community engagement. Specifically, the City commits to robust conversations with the community regarding potential housing projects, zoning changes and other land use planning decisions.

Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing — As a recipient of federal funds, the City agrees to participate in the Regional Analysis of Impediments, as organized by the regional Fair Housing Implementation Council (FHIC).

Meaningful Access

Online Resources and Information

The City of Eden Prairie will have information about fair housing and its Fair Housing Officer displayed on its website. The website will also have links to various fair housing resources, including but not limited to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Minnesota Department of Human Rights, Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, or others, as well as links to state and federal fair housing complaint forms.

In-Person Information — The City of Eden Prairie will provide fair housing information to anyone requesting such information at the City offices. Information provided will include:

A list of fair housing enforcement agencies;
Frequently asked questions (FAQ) regarding Fair Housing Law; and
Fair Housing Complaint Forms for enforcement agencies

Languages — The City of Eden Prairie is committed to providing information in the native languages of its residents. Therefore, the City will have the information listed in the top languages most frequently encountered in the City, other than English. Material in other languages can be requested on an individual basis.