Last week, in response to a misleading article in the Westchester Journal News, the Center posted a statement praising HUD for rejecting Westchester's inadequate 2009 Consolidated Plan and "affirmatively furthering fair housing" certifications. The statement said in part that HUD's response was "a very encouraging sign that the Obama Administration fully expects recipients of federal grant funds to meet the fair housing obligations that are a basic condition of receiving any of those funds."
Today, May 14th, the Journal News reports HUD as reversing course and "accepting Westchester County's fair-housing plans." Deputy County Executive Susan Tolchin is quoted as saying that, "It's business as usual."
The Center has not seen a 2009 analysis of impediments to fair housing choice posted on the County's website, and does not know that one even exists.
Before anyone rushes to any conclusions about the meaning of HUD's most-recent action, the agency should have an opportunity to explain exactly what that action was; the conditions it imposed, if any; and why HUD took the steps it did. The Center remains optimistic that HUD's new leadership will prove committed to vigorous enforcement of the affirmatively furthering fair housing requirements that are a basic condition of receiving any Housing and Community Development funds.
It is curious to the Center that neither the May 7th or May 14th stories in the Journal News mentioned the fact that the United States Government, the Anti-Discrimination Center, and Westchester County had already signed a Settlement Term Sheet memorializing the framework of a settlement of the Center's False Claims Act lawsuit on May 4th. See related Court Order of May 5th, below.
