City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: SEPTEMBER 2, 2020
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of an Intergovernmental Agreement to Facilitate the City's Participation in a Regional Analysis of Impediments to Measure Alexandria's Progress in Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing and to Inform its Upcoming Five-Year Consolidated Plan to HUD
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ISSUE: Execution of an Intergovernmental Agreement for a Regional Analysis of Housing Impediments
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council:
1. Approve the draft Intergovernmental Agreement (Attachment 1) for a regional analysis of impediments to housing convened by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG); and
2. Authorize the City Manager to enter into a agreement that is in substantial conformance with the draft attached.
BACKGROUND: As a recipient of federal funds that support many critical housing and social services programs, the City is required to submit Consolidated Plans every five years which propose how Alexandria will use its federal fund allocations, the service targets it expects to achieve, and how the federal monies will be leveraged with local, state and other resources. The plan is reviewed publicly every year and the City reports its progress in implementing the Plan and meeting service targets.
An important obligation attached to the receipt of federal funds is a jurisdiction's demonstrated commitment to fair housing: Alexandria fulfills this commitment through its annual fair housing testing program to identify and correct discriminatory practices and in training it regularly offers to city staff and housing industry representatives, including property management staff. The City also regularly reports its analysis of impediments to housing, which considers issues of access and equity in how hous...
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