AGENDA HOUSING ADVISORY COMMISSION NAPERVILLE MUNICIPAL CENTER, MEETING ROOM B TUESDAY, JULY 25, :30 PM

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1 AGENDA HOUSING ADVISORY COMMISSION NAPERVILLE MUNICIPAL CENTER, MEETING ROOM B TUESDAY, JULY 25, :30 PM CALL TO ORDER: A. ROLL CALL B. MINUTES Approve the minutes of the Housing Advisory Commission meeting C. PUBLIC COMMENT D. NEW BUSINESS 1. Fair Housing Training Request for Proposals E. OLD BUSINESS 1. Housing Choice Voucher Education Sub-Committee Update 2. Fair Housing Complaint: Jones vs. Concentric Realty (FH1701) F. OTHER REPORTS 1. The next regularly scheduled Housing Advisory Commission meeting is August 7, 2017 G. ADJOURNMENT

2 DRAFT MINUTES HOUSING ADVISORY COMMISSION NAPERVILLE MUNICIPAL CENTER, COUNCIL CHAMBERS MONDAY, JUNE 5, :30 PM CALL TO ORDER: 6:34pm by Chair Hilger A. ROLL CALL Commissioners Present: James Bernicky, Laura Ellman, Robert Fischer, Michele Hilger, Linda Wilhelm Commissioners Absent: Joyce Gu, Edwin Hojnacki, Haider Sarwar, Councilwoman Anderson Others Present: Kasey Evans, Ruth Broder, Kristen Foley B. MINUTES Motion to approve the May 1, 2017 HAC minutes by Commissioner Fischer, Commissioner Wilhelm seconded; approved 5 to 0. C. PUBLIC COMMENT None D. NEW BUSINESS 1. Fair Housing Complaint: Jones vs. Concentric Realty (FH1701) Evans gave an overview of the first steps of the complaint process. Hilger/Fischer: this complaint appears to be a serious accusation and warrants a deeper look. There was a consensus of the Commissioners to move the complaint forward. Foley: would the HAC like to use a small review group, or the whole HAC to review the complaint? Chairwoman Hilger appointed the whole HAC to review the complaint. Foley: additional information will be requested from both parties involved and provided to the HAC for review prior to the HAC meeting again to discuss the complaint. There are several outcomes described in the City s Fair Housing Ordinance, if the HAC finds there has been a violation, including the possibility of a fine assessed in court. 2. Housing Choice Voucher Education Sub-Committee Discussion Ellman: thanked Commissioner Fischer for joining the sub-committee. The sub- Housing Advisory Commission Minutes Page 1 of 3

3 committee s goal is to provide education to landlords, potential landlords, and people who advise landlords. It can be a challenge to find the landlords to reach out to. Fischer: Condo, townhome and homeowners associations and their property managers may be one method for disseminating information. Ellman: format for the information has been the biggest point of discussion for the sub-committee. Websites are fairly easy to put together, however face-toface/seminars could be more of a challenge. Wilhelm: it is important to deliver information with letters and envelopes that look official and marked important to ensure they are opened and read. Ellman: maybe some personal contact with the property managers would be beneficial. Fischer: volunteered to compile a list of property managers contact information. Fischer: A big constraint will likely be a lack of funding to undertake something like a bulk mailing. Broder: there is $6,000 allocated from CDBG funds to begin implementing the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI). Fischer: would like to see the CDBG funding focused education and training. Ellman: a next sub-committee meeting has not yet been scheduled. Jim Hill offered the assistance of the Senior Task Force in the education effort. Perhaps the City could charge a nominal fee to landlords, through landlord registration, to fund landlord training. Fischer: landlord registration has thus far been a non-starter with City Council, and Naperville does not license businesses, therefore there is no mechanism for collecting such a fee. Instead of revisiting landlord registration, the HAC ought to focus efforts on areas where it can take more immediate action. Evans: the low-hanging fruit would be to develop content and post it the City website. This would quickly get some information out to the public while the HAC develops more detailed content for dissemination, such as a workshop. Dr. Bob Buckman (St Thomas, DuPage Homeless Alliance): offered St Thomas DuPage Homeless Alliance assistance. The biggest problem in putting any program together is content and St Thomas could put together a whole How to be a landlord: 101 information for the Commission. HUD office has files with content available. Dr. Buckman gave the example of the Confederation organizing an Emerald Ash Borer workshop which was extremely successful. Hilger: suggests the sub-committee meeting with the St Thomas group, inviting Mainstreet Realtors Association, and other organizations, to collaborate on content and an event. Evans: once the sub-committee has drafted content and/or event information, please submit to staff for review. Ellman: like the idea of tackling website updates early, and then working towards a workshop or live event to bring additional people in. E. OLD BUSINESS None F. OTHER REPORTS 1. Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice Update Broder: City Council had previously approved the Annual Action plan including $6,000 for implementation of the AI, and City Council voted to receive the AI at the May 16 City Council meeting. We expect to receive the anticipated level of CDBG funding with the money possibly arriving in about September. It is optimal for CDBG funding to be used within the program year (by March 31, 2018). Can Housing Advisory Commission Minutes Page 2 of 3

4 send out the AI via to the HAC, and can also make hardcopies of the AI if requested. Fischer: would like to focus funding on education on City staff, Council and boards and commissions. Based on past discussions this education is sorely needed, and would like to see the training scheduled no later than September. Hilger: AI action item 1D is also an interesting option to pursue. Broder: the DuPage Homeownership Center would be a good resource in that respect. Fischer: the AI included a survey which demonstrated a low level of understanding of fair housing. It would be good to use that survey in the training. Do we have rights to use the survey? Broder: we have the survey results, and can ask the consultant if we have use of the survey. Fischer: the survey makes a strong case for why folks need to attend the training. Hilger: AI action item 1E is another one to pursue in the short term. It would be helpful to do a mock complaint with the Commission to practice the process. Fisher: also have the ordinance revised to extend the sunset on when complaints can be filed (action item 1F). Fischer: during past discussions there were a number of boards that could benefit from the training such as City Council, Planning and Zoning Commission, Housing Advisory Commission, Code Enforcement, etc. City training is the best place to spend the CDBG money. Fischer made a motion to proceed with an RFP to conduct City training with the available CDBG funding. Wilhelm seconded. Voice vote carried unanimously. Broder: can attempt to put together a draft of the RFP for the July meeting. Ellman: What does it mean that City Council received the AI. Broder: there are several different types of actions that City Council takes such as pass, receive, etc. HAC has the ability to move forward with implementing the AI. City Council had previously approved the Annual Action Plan that includes the funding to implement. Hilger outlined the tasks for the coming weeks: Laura and Bob will schedule a subcommittee meeting to create/gather education content; Ruth will work on the RFP; and staff will request information regarding the fair housing complaint. 2. The next regularly scheduled Housing Advisory Commission meeting is July 10, D. ADJOURNMENT Motion to adjourn by Commissioner Fischer, seconded by Commissioner Ellman; meeting adjourned at 7:35pm. Housing Advisory Commission Minutes Page 3 of 3

5 HOUSING ADVISORY COMMISSION TO: Housing Advisory Commission FROM: Kasey Evans, AICP Community Planner SUBJECT: Fair Housing Complaint: Jones vs. Concentric Realty (FH1701) DATE: July 25, 2017 Following the Housing Advisory Commission s (HAC) decision at their meeting to further investigate, staff requested additional information concerning fair housing complaint FH1701. Both the complainant (Jones) and the respondent (Concentric Realty) submitted additional information regarding the alleged fair housing violation. The information submitted by both parties is provided to the HAC for review. Upon review of the information provided, the HAC may determine which of the following courses of action are appropriate: 1) No probable cause exists for the filing of the complaint, and the complaint should be dismissed; 2) Probable cause exists for filing of the complaint, and the complaint should proceed to a hearing before the full Commission; or 3) Mediation between both parties in order to come to a resolution acceptable to the parties: a. If conciliation of the complaint through mediation is not achieved, the complaint should proceed to a hearing before the full Commission. If HAC determines the complaint should proceed to a hearing before the full Commission, the hearing will be held at a subsequent HAC meeting in accordance with the Hearing Procedures set forth in Municipal Code Section (Hearing Procedure).