#158 Fall 2009

Ruling A Step Toward A “Fully Integrated Society”

In August, New York State’s Westchester County entered an agreement that could result in dozens of towns and villages within its borders to aggressively promote fair housing. The agreement, the […]

In August, New York State’s Westchester County entered an agreement that could result in dozens of towns and villages within its borders to aggressively promote fair housing.

The agreement, the result of a suit filed by the Anti-Discrimination Center, was brokered in part by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, stipulates that the county spend $50 million to get towns to build 750 housing units for low-and-moderate-income residents. Initially, the county claimed getting its towns to change zoning ordinances would be difficult, thus making it even more daunting of a task to build workforce and affordable housing, but the agreement was signed, emphasizing the lack of housing in small Westchester towns for blacks and Latinos. The agreement represents a sea change in philosophy, according to Ron Sims, the deputy secretary at HUD, who told The New York Times that the agreement was “consistent with the president’s desire to see a fully integrated society.”

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Shelterforce Staff

Shelterforce is the only independent, non-academic publication covering the worlds of community development, affordable housing, and neighborhood stabilization.

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