Grassroots
Examples of Policies and Programs Promoting Integration
The Next 40 Years of Fair Housing Conference
University of Illinois at Chicago
October 7, 2008
Moderator:
Terri Johnson, Jane Addams Hull House Foundation
Panelists:
Rob Breymaier, Oak Park Regional Housing Center
Ruben Feliciano, Latino Policy Forum
Sharon Legenza, Housing Action Illinois
Justin Massa, MoveSmart.org
John Petruszak, South Suburban Housing Center
State Rep. Karen A. Yarbrough (D-7th District)
1:01pm Terri Johnson introduces the panel.
1:03pm Mr. Breymaier introduces the Oak Park Regional Housing Center as an organization that strives to “achieve meaningful and lasting racial diversity throughout Oak Park, Berwyn and the region.” In 1972 there were hardly any African American residents.
1:05pm Oak Park today is “not perfect but it is an open and inclusive community” with racial representations similar to the region.
Rob Breymaier, OPRHC: Next 40 Years Presentation
1:07pm Provide direct services
-Affirmative Moves- extensive promotion, encourage integration of less diverse segments of the community
-Work with Property Owners- supply side, management techniques, appropriate screening techniques, resident managers (OPRHC workers living in the building)
-Advocacy and Policy- emphasize inclusion, provide regional leadership (cooperation with Berwyn), utilize research
1:13pm Challenges
-Non-blacks don’t want to live near blacks (“make affirmative moves”)
-Influence of surrounding segregation
-Misconceptions that Oak Park no longer has housing problems
-“The program is labor intensive and can be expensive”
1:15pm Spreading the Program
-Oak Park model is not the only model
-“Scalable to reduce costs”
1:18pm Sharon Legenza, Director of Housing Action Illinois
-Creative solutions to realize integration
-The organization strives to increase numbers of fair, affordable housing will promote/achieve integration.
1: 20pm Organization has three areas of focus
-Training and Technical Assistance
-Education and Organizing (housingmatters.net sends out alerts and gives individuals ways to contact legislators about legislation about housing)
-Public Policy Advocacy
1:23pm Challenges
-Lack of resources to devote to affordable housing
-Affordable housing= integration?
-The emphasis on class obscure the centrality of race in housing and housing policy and advocacy
-What is meant by integration? What constitutes integration? Advocates lack clarity on what this means, why it’s relevant, what it looks like.
-Prioritizing funding of integration in affluent white neighborhood WHILE providing funds to poorer, minority communities
1:25pm Justin Massa of Movesmart.org
-Practical, Creative Ways to Implement Integration
-Print housing ads are being replaced by online sources
-“Residential segregation remains virtually in Chicagoland unchanged in 40 years”
Justin Massa, MoveSmart.org: Next 40 Years
1:28pm Previous Efforts
-CHAC’s Housing Opportunity Program couldn’t community how home-seekers’ lives would improve by living in diverse neighborhoods
-Time intensive for home-seekers
1:32pm Movesmart.org
-Contains User-friendly information (no needless stats)
-Includes Relevant Information
-Intuitive Interface
-Gets specific information/considerations of home-seekers and provide results
-Results that take into account how that home-seeker would diversity communities
1:25pm Site launches in November.
1:38pm Ruben Feliciano of Latino Policy Forum (formerly Latinos United)
1:40pm Latino Policy Forum began under Mayor Washington and sued the CHA over discrimination
1:43pm Integration at what Expense? Integration occurs often as a result of gentrification, the displacement of poorer residents of color
1:45pm Organization highlights issues particular to Latinos, and also those relevant to blacks. What is the impact of the housing crisis on Latinos? People who go and live in their friends’/family’s house are homeless.
1:47pm John Petruszak former president of Chicago Area Fair Housing Alliance and
-South Suburban Housing Center
-CAFHA seeks to develop and support programs for fair housing rights and ensure long-term diversity
-CAFHA releases studies on fair housing, discrimination, public policy, and policy recommendations
-SSHC advocates integration and facing several barriers
-White flight from the south suburbs to the outlying collar counties
-Discrimination (about 250 complaints, 85% are race-based)
-Sub-prime lending, high home foreclosure rates
-High concentrations of Section 8 voucher owners
-Recommendations for South Suburbs
-Counseling programs need to expand home-seekers choices
-Decrease predatory lending
-Expand affirmative marketing programs resources
-Implement fair housing practices/programs, enforcing fair housing
2:02pm State Rep Karen A. Yarbrough (7th District)
-Source of Income discrimination (child support, SSI, welfare, housing choice voucher, etc.) perpetuates poverty and concentrates it in minority areas.
-House Bill 45
-Landlord may not discrimination in renting solely on the basis of source of income
-Provides training for landlords who violate bill
-Applies only for renting, not buying
-Several states have some form of ban on source of income legislation
-In Illinois the bill has been defeated, but will be reintroduced.
