NIMBY, Equity and Liability for Communities

NIMBY Equity and Liability: Why Planners Need to Understand Fair Housing Law

During the October, 2022 APA Idaho Conference in Boise, Approximately 60 planning professionals heard from experts Erin Anderson (Director, The Housing Company) and Don Elliott, FAICP, J.D. (Director, Clarion Associates) on the impacts of growing NIMBY opposition to residential development that is affordable and/or serves diverse populations. The session references findings and comments from the most recent 2022 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing, and provides examples of barriers to fair housing choice and best practices in planning to reduce violations and liability. The session was moderated by Erik Kingston, PCED (Housing Resources Coordinator, IHFA).

Session Description. Housing availability and affordability are top of mind for every community. As local government seeks to cultivate housing diversity and choice, persistent local opposition to multifamily housing, density or diversity poses both a barrier and liability. The Fair Housing Act defines an “aggrieved person” as “any person who . . . claims to have been injured by a discriminatory housing practice,” and the Act expressly protects the rights of housing developers—as well as minorities, families or people with disabilities.

When developers of otherwise conforming subsidized projects are consistently denied permits because of neighborhood pushback, local governments may be liable. NIMBY can drive emotionally charged short-term thinking about what should be long-term planning and development strategies. This panel of fair housing, planning and legal experts will explore existing case law and invite participants to a discussion of practical civic engagement strategies to stay focused on planning principles and long-term community benefits.

Watch the session video (Courtesy, APA Idaho Chapter)

Accessible Communications

Below are links and resources referenced in the session, Accessibility in Communications, featured in the 2022 Conference on Housing and Economic Development, sponsored by the Idaho Housing and Finance Association.

How to make your communications—from your website to your printed material —accessible to non-native speakers and individuals with sensory related disabilities (vision or hearing).

Contributors and Speakers:

Laine Amoureux, Account Representative, The International Association of Accessibility Professionals; and
Carolyn Quintero, Web Accessibility Analyst, Boise State University

Presentation Materials

Idaho Digital Accessibility Consortium (IDAC) This work is sponsored by the Idaho Assistive Technology Project, a grassroots group of Idahoans invested in disability inclusion. Webpages to be updated soon.

Community of Practice (AKA Accessibility Therapy) As your schedule allows please feel free to drop-in on any Thursday between 1:30 and 3:00 p.m. MT and chat, while you work, with members of our disability advocacy community of practice! No topics are off limits, nor are any going to be “scheduled”. The goal is to create a space for spontaneous connection, much like we might have if we were able to safely meet in-person before/after meetings or in our offices.

Note. Email nstallings at uidaho.edu or laine at amoureuxatconsulting.com to be added to the Community of Practice (AKA Accessibility Therapy) and/or the IDAC newsletter – for training announcements.

International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) – a professional association for anyone working on accessibility and disability-inclusion

Digital.gov Accessible Social Media Toolkit The Federal Social Media Accessibility Toolkit Hackpad: Improving the Accessibility of Social Media for Public Service. From the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy: “The toolkit is intended to help agencies evaluate the accessibility of their social media programs for persons with disabilities, identify areas that need improving, and share their own ideas and recommendations for helping ensuring our modernization programs are easily accessed by all who need them.”

AccessibleSocial Accessible Social is a free resource hub for digital marketers, communication professionals, content creators, and everyday social media users who want to learn how to make their content inclusive and accessible for people with disabilities.

Other Examples

Video presentations. Example of audio description with ASL support for video by the Idaho Access Project.

Accessible events. The Idaho Access Project teamed up with the Womens and Childrens Alliance to create a more accessible route for their 2021 and Oct. 2 2022 SueB fundraising run/walk. The Urban Route features audio descriptions of the route and points of interest along the way.

Fair Housing Month Campaign Materials

Content for the Fair Housing Month social media campaign is now available! Members of the Idaho Fair Housing Forum have created a series of messages and graphics that highlight key concepts outlined in fair housing law. Please help us spread the word!

The goal is to provide consistent messaging across the state by sharing four posts each week throughout April to educate Idahoans about their rights under the Fair Housing Act.

Campaign Dates: April 4 – April 29

Format: Four posts per week

Content (Click on the links below to download):

Fair Housing Print Materials

If you would like to display and distribute fair housing posters, information cards and bookmarks at your organization during fair housing month, the Idaho Housing and Finance Association (IHFA) will send materials at no cost to you. To request materials, click here

Fair Housing Video Explainers

IHFA produced a series of fair housing video explainers available for download and sharing via social media. Click here to view the collection.

Fair Housing Forum: Monthly Meetings

We’ll track the monthly meetings of the Idaho Fair Housing Forum below, and add descriptions and links to materials as they are made available by the various meeting hosts. Check back each month for the latest updates in the archive below.

Meetings take place the third Wednesday of the month. Each regular monthly meeting highlights a topic selected by participants in advance. Quarterly meetings are more open-ended opportunities for conversation and discussion of fair housing trends, challenges and related issues. Continue reading →