HUD’s Idaho Fair Housing and Virtual Training

Idaho Fair Housing Forum partners welcomed key personnel from HUD’s Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Office for a virtual FHEO training on Thursday, August 10, 2023. The event was well-attended, with over 230 Participants from Idaho and the surrounding regions. If a recording is made available, a link will be posted below.

Screen grab from a Microsoft Teams screen. In the top half of the screen a smiling woman wearing glasses is speaking. The lower section shows a man with short hair and glasses and is wearing a headset. To the right are small circles representing attendees.

Opening remarks by Lynn Grosso, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Brian Dale, PCED, HUD Field Office Director for Idaho

Agenda

Opening Remarks – Brian Dale, FOD; Barbara Lehman, Region X FHEO Director; Lynn Grosso, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement
HUD FHEO’s Intake Process – Michael Chen, HUD FHEO
HUD FHEO’s Investigation Process – Breanne Lee, HUD FHEO
HUD FHEO and VAWA/C Revs – James Kordich, HUD FHEO
Q & A – FHEO Staff Presenters
Closing Remarks – Lynn Grosso, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement (tentative), Barbara Lehman, Region X FHEO Director

Resources and links

Access Means Everything!

Members of the Idaho Access Project spoke with several dozen architects, attorneys, and fair housing advocates on May 5 as part of the Intermountain Fair Housing Council’s 2023 workshop series. While the focus was on access in all aspects of life, the session included a comparison between fair housing design and construction requirements and Visitability.

Topics

Inclusive planning and design for mobility, access, safety and connectivity;
Visitability in single-family residential housing development;
Inclusive Recreation and Tourism, and
Integrating people with disabilities in civic, cultural and

Learn more

Presentation (includes links to videos and resources): IAP May Session_IFHC
Session Video:

Fair Housing Means Access and Accommodation

The June 22, 2021 Fair Housing webinar focused on fair housing considerations for people with disabilities. Several key stakeholders involved in disability rights and advocacy participated in the discussion of fair housing protections in light of the current housing crisis, which impacts people with disabilities and other protected classes much harder that it does the general population.

One question came up in the follow-up discussion:

What is the statute of limitations on filing a fair housing complaint? HUD’s position:

FHEO begins its complaint investigation process shortly after receiving a complaint. You must file your complaint within one year of the last date of the alleged discrimination under the Fair Housing Act. Other civil rights authorities allow for complaints to be filed after one year for good cause, but FHEO recommends filing as soon as possible.

The group agreed that those in the areas of housing and community development would benefit from a more inclusive planning and design process that engages people with disabilities to inform strategies that make communities more livable and affordable to everyone.

Links to session materials and referenced resources:

Link to the session video here
Fair Housing Means Access (presentation slides)
Information on visitability and and the benefits to housing providers and taxpayers
How accessible are our homes?
Idaho Access Project

June 13 Design and Construction Workshop in Boise

Fair Housing Accessibility FIRST

Idaho has been fortunate to host several workshops put on by the excellent trainers at Fair Housing Accessibility First! over the years.

We’re excited to announce another chance for those involved in design, construction, development or permitting for the residential environment.

This workshop provides invaluable information for engineers, architects, builders and developers, remodeling contractors and building officials. Learn the basics of design and construction requirements, take a deeper dive into disability rights law and and learn how to make hosing accessible through accommodations and modifications.

As our population ages, we’re all either seniors or seniors in training (if we’re lucky). We need to know how to build a future we and our friends and families can all live with.

Here’s a snapshot from today’s training with attorney Scott P. Moore; thanks to the City of Boise for use of their Council Chambers and for their support of webcasting.