Today,
it is likely that most if not all of the 1,200+ states, counties, and
municipalities across the country that receive CDBG funds are
revisiting their plans and procedures. The Anti-Discrimination Center of Metro New York v. Westchester County settlement, announced last week, requires Westchester
to make up for years of neglect regarding the affirmative furthering of
fair housing – namely, addressing the impediments to fair housing
choice that perpetuate segregation. As HUD’s Deputy Secretary Ron Sims
noted during the press conference announcing the settlement, after
nearly a decade of lax federal oversight communities around the nation
are now “on notice”.