AFFH Training and Dissemination Provided
Traylor & Associates has been working to assist your jurisdiction with the FHAST process the State has developed, the intent of which is to produce an approvable Fair Housing Action Plan for your jurisdiction. A completed and adopted FHAST Form is required from any jurisdictions applying for Disaster Recovery funds under Round 2 Phase 2 (Round 2.2). We have assisted with the following tasks:
1. Reviewed the FHAST Guide provided by the General Land Office
2. Reviewed the Interim Analysis of Impediments (“AI”) produced by TDRA to guide the Disaster Round 2 application process.
3. Constructed a FHAST Timeline to help you meet the September 23, 2011 deadline for adoption of the FHAST Form .
4. Help to ensure the selected members of your FHAST Work Group conform to the categories described in the FHAST Guide.
5. Provided FHAST WORK GROUP rosters for posting to you community’s website or Bulletin Board
6. Developed Maps that portray your community in terms of areas of minority and low-income concentration.
7. Collected responses to a Community Profile Questionnaire for the purpose of establishing where certain questions on the FHAST Form are applicable to your community.
8. Providing a DRAFT completed FHAST form for your review. There are several things I’d like you to keep in mind as you review the DRAFT.
1) The DRAFT is the recommendation of Traylor & Associates. The responses we have recommended vary from one jurisdiction to another, and are based on:
a) The minimum standards we believe will be necessary for approval of the FHAST Form.
b) Our review of the Interim AI and Conciliation Agreement;
c) Your responses to individual questions we have sent to you;
d) A presumption that all questions require an affirmative response unless not applicable to your jurisdiction by reason of objective facts; and
e) Reasonable timeframes where responses obligate your community to perform reviews or establish new governmental policies that advance the cause of fair housing.
2) Although we do not believe there is great deal of flexibility, please change any response that you and your Work Group feel strongly about, one way or another. If you believe an item is “Not Applicable” to your jurisdiction, you can certainly choose that option, but please be prepared to provide the reason for selecting that choice.
