Under a cooperative agreement funded by HUD, the Housing Assistance Council (HAC) recently released two reports on rural housing issues. Fair Housing, the Zoning Process, and Land Use Politics ($5.50) Proposals for changes in zoning and proposals for development permits often bring affordable housing developments to public attention, creating "not in my back yard " reactions. Fair housing laws can help rural affordable housing developers overcome such opposition. Using examples from four struggles in rural areas, the report outlines the common characteristics of community opposition to affordable housing. It describes some creative, effective responses and highlights ways to raise fair housing issues in land use or zoning cases. Fair Housing Violation Cases in Nonmetro and Metro Counties ($5) After describing the similarities and differences among 19,000 fair housing complaints from rural and urban areas, researchers find racial discrimination the most common charge. They also find that the results of filing a complaint are somewhat different. In metropolitan areas complainants are more likely to obtain monetary compensation, while in rural areas they are more likely to receive access to the denied housing. To order either publication, visit the HAC Web site or call (202) 842-8600. Orders must be prepaid. |
