NEW YORK AND CONNECTICUT SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES. Fair Housing & Equity Assessment & Regional Planning Enhancement

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1 NEW YORK AND CONNECTICUT SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES Fair Housing & Equity Assessment & Regional Planning Enhancement November 19, 2013 White Plains Public Library

Federal grant to improve regional planning

neighborhoods more prosperous, allow people

2 Federal grant to improve regional planning to support sustainable communities The Partnership for Sustainable Communities works to coordinate federal housing, transportation, water, and other infrastructure investments to make neighborhoods more prosperous, allow people to live closer to jobs, save households time and money, and reduce pollution.

3 Promote equitable, affordable housing Value communities and neighborhoods. Enhance economic competitiveness LIVABILITY PRINCIPLES Coordinate policies and leverage investment Support existing communities Provide more transportation choices

5 What the Consortium can and cannot do The NY-CT Consortium produces plans and recommendations for the region and specific locations based on a work program in an agreement between the consortium partners. Implementation of any plans or recommendations must go through the normal approval processes of the towns, villages, counties and states where proposals are located.

6 Growing the economy, expanding choice Build mixed-income housing and jobs within walking distance of transit

7 Placespecific projects

8 Repurposing the I-287 Corridor 8

9 SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER EAST-WEST CORRIDOR ISSUES SCAN 9

10 NEW ROCHELLE TOD SMART GROWTH STUDY 10

Growing the economy, expanding choice Bring

Number of good, accessible jobs in our urban areas

11 Growing the economy, expanding choice Bring opportunity to all communities and all communities to opportunity Number of affordable, energy -efficient homes built in our good school districts Number of good, accessible jobs in our urban areas Access to grocery stores, fresh foods, health care and other needs

12 GROWING THE ECONOMY, EXPANDING CHOICE DEVELOP CLIMATE RESILIENT BUILDINGS AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Growing the economy, expanding choice Coordinate federal, state, regional, and local regulatory reforms Identify specific gaps in existing regional

13 Growing the economy, expanding choice Coordinate federal, state, regional, and local regulatory reforms Identify specific gaps in existing regional plans Analyze regulatory and program impediments to on-the-ground projects Recommend reforms Adopt an Execution Plan for Regional Sustainable Development

16 regional and place-specific projects REGIONAL PLANNING ENHANCEMENT AND INTEGRATION SPECIFIC PLACE-BASED

Bridgeport, Stamford, Norwalk, New Rochelle Bronx Stations I-287 and Cross County Parkway corridors

Nassau Centers Suffolk Transfer-of- Development Rights Long Island Housing Strategy Master Plans Housing

14 16 regional and place-specific projects REGIONAL PLANNING ENHANCEMENT AND INTEGRATION SPECIFIC PLACE-BASED AND AREA-WIDE PROJECTS Transportation Plans Northern Sector Place- Based Sustainability Projects New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford, Norwalk, New Rochelle Bronx Stations I-287 and Cross County Parkway corridors Sustainability Plans Regional Plan for Sustainable Development Economic Development Plans East New York Nassau Centers Suffolk Transfer-of- Development Rights Long Island Housing Strategy Master Plans Housing Plans Areawide Policy Projects Regional Planning Enhancement Regional Fair Housing & Equity Assessment NYC Climate Resilience

15 Addressing Equity & 0pportunity: The Regional Fair Housing and Equity Assessment (FHEA)

16 What is the Fair Housing and Equity Assessment (FHEA)? An analysis of the segregation patterns and disparities in the region An inclusive deliberation process to identify the factors contributing to these patterns and strategies to overcome them A bridge to decision-making and investments

17 Outcomes FHEA will be incorporated in the NY-CT consortium s Regional Execution Plan for Sustainable Development to: Include strategies to address fair housing barriers and other issues identified in the FHEA, including actions for consortiumled projects Improve regional planning to support access to opportunity Information in FHEA can also be used to: Assist states and municipalities in developing their housing analyses and plans Assist other fair housing and community development efforts

18 Suburbs are becoming increasingly diverse, but African-Americans and Hispanics remain concentrated in cities

23 African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians represent nearly half the region s population

24 but we remain one of the most segregated regions in the nation Dissimilarity index measures how evenly two groups are distributed across an area On a scale of 0 (completely integrated) to 1 (completely segregated), the region scores.78 for black-white segregation, nearly twice the average for all metropolitan areas Source: Brown University,

Racially and Ethnically Concentrated Areas of Poverty Mostly in Cities Racially/Ethnically- Concentrated Areas of Poverty (R/ECAP) Majority non-white population (>50%) high

25 Racially and Ethnically Concentrated Areas of Poverty Mostly in Cities Racially/Ethnically- Concentrated Areas of Poverty (R/ECAP) Majority non-white population (>50%) high poverty rate (percent of population in poverty>=40% or 3X area average) Intended to identify areas of most intense need Does not capture all areas of poverty or racial segregation

26 Most African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians, as well as ¾ of all races living in poverty, live outside of R/ECAPs 20% of Hispanics 16% of African- Americans 4% of Asians 1% of Whites 24% of those in poverty 29% of federally subsidized housing units

27 A few more R/ECAPs are identified using average Hudson Valley poverty rates 27

28 44% of lower Hudson Valley lives in census tracts that are over 75% white 28

29 compared to 11% of federally-subsidized housing in primarily white census tracts 29

30 How do planning decisions impact poverty and segregation? Share of Population Below Poverty Level R/ECAP Open Space Poverty Rate >= 18% (bottom 30%) % (middle 40%) <= 5.1% (top 30%) 30

31 How can housing and land use improve access to good schools and services? School proficiency by 8 th grade test scores Average Test Score 8th Grade Math & Reading, 2012 Bottom 30% Middle 40% Top 30% No 8th Grade (Scores) Open Space 31

32 IN PROCESS: Evaluating causes and solutions with help of an Advisory Committee HUD s examples of causes of segregation Siting of affordable housing Zoning /land use barriers Local residency preferences Lack of HCV landlords Land/infrastructure availability Source of income discrimination Community opposition/nimbyism Realtor steering by race HUD s examples of issues to explore in RCAPs Housing quality Opportunities to stabilize existing housing Job access (especially lowwage/entry level) Access to effective transportation Bank/loan presence or absence Availability of infrastructure, such as sidewalks, street lights School quality

33 IN PROCESS: Recommendations for improving meaningful engagement in planning processes, such as Including more community leaders and organizations in planning meetings and outreach Using clear, non-technical language to describe problems and proposals Providing materials in advance of meetings Conducting more than one meeting on topics so individuals have an opportunity to think and confer about the issues and come back with responses and recommendations Translating materials into languages other than English and providing interpreters at the meeting Explicitly asking for concrete solutions, and not just problems Providing timely feedback on how ideas are considered and used

34 Questions What prevents you or others in your community from obtaining the type of home that you need, such as: not enough homes that you can afford being denied an apartment, house or mortgage because of race or color, where you come from, your family status, disability or other reasons being made to feel unwelcome in a neighborhood you want to live in What problems should FHEA prioritize, such as: where affordable housing gets built transportation access to jobs funding for sewers and other infrastructure services to investigate and file complaints about discrimination zoning that doesn t allow rental or multi-family homes community opposition to new housing or residents What are the most important actions that should be taken?

35 Planning Enhancements for Sustainable Development Preliminary Findings & Potential Approaches November/December 2013

36 What is sustainability planning?

Assessment of current planning practices Local municipal County (NY) or RPO (CT)

plan (NY) Transportation plan Transportation plan Plan of conservation and

development (CT) HUD consolidated plan Coordinated public transit-human services

plan (NY) and energy strategy (CT) Coordinated public transit-human services plan

37 Assessment of current planning practices Local municipal County (NY) or RPO (CT) Multicounty (NY) or MPO Statewide Comprehensive plan (NY) Master plan or vision plan (NY) Transportation plan Transportation plan Plan of conservation and development (CT) HUD consolidated plan Regional plan of conservation and development (CT) HUD consolidated plan Coordinated public transit-human services plan (NY) Strategic economic development plan (NY) HUD consolidated plan Energy plan (NY) and energy strategy (CT) Coordinated public transit-human services plan (CT) Multi-hazard mitigation plan Multi-hazard mitigation plan Sustainability plan (NY) Multi-hazard mitigation plan

38 What broad themes emerged from the Consortium members plans?

39 What primary planning gaps emerged from the analysis of relevant plans? Coordinating Regional and Local Transportation Planning Prioritizing Areas of Growth and Conservation Linking Transportation, Housing, and Economic Development with Transit-Oriented Development Linking Job Access and Economic Opportunity Incorporating Hazard Mitigation and Resiliency Regional Strategies for Energy Efficiency Preserving Open Space and Reducing Pollutants

40 How can regional, state and federal programs better support local sustainable development?

41 What specific barriers to implementation emerged from the place-based projects?

42 Potential Approaches for Filling the Planning Gaps: Cross-Acceptance A cross-acceptance process is one potential mechanism for better linking planning at multiple levels. Cross-acceptance is a process by which municipal, regional, and statewide plans could be compared and linked in an effort to achieve greater consistency and compatibility. A cross-acceptance process could be established as a formal legislated process or a more informal clearinghouse-type arrangement.

43 Potential Approaches for Filling the Planning Gaps: Standards for Common Components Short of a full cross-acceptance process, standards could be established to require common components of plans at multiple levels. As an example, coordinated job access components should be included in HUD consolidated plans at all levels, as well as MPO regional transportation plans. Additionally, common economic development components in local, regional and statewide plans would also enhance planning for both job access and for community economic development.

44 Potential Approaches for Filling the Planning Gaps: Partnerships for Specific Locations A more spatially-specific approach to better integrating planning at multiple levels could involve: Partnerships, including local municipalities, convened by counties in New York and regional planning organizations in Connecticut Organized around critical transportation corridors and projects. Statewide and MPO transportation plans can be used to target. Federal and/or state planning resources can be made available as an added incentive for local participation in these targeted planning initiatives.

Potential Approaches for Supporting Transit-Oriented Development Mixed income, energy efficient TOD is most achievable when potential TOD projects are incorporated in: Local municipal and county (or

45 Potential Approaches for Supporting Transit-Oriented Development Mixed income, energy efficient TOD is most achievable when potential TOD projects are incorporated in: Local municipal and county (or regional planning organization) comprehensive plans (and plans of conservation and development) HUD-required consolidated plans at these levels Metropolitan planning organization regional transportation plans and Regional Economic Development Councils strategic plans (in New York State) Statewide consolidated plans, transportation plans and economic development plans.

#1: Uncoordinated Other Actions federal and to state Support regulations pose impediments to mixed-use, mixed-income TOD Allow more flexibility in housing and transportation

credits for energy conservation or economic resiliency districts Expand use of overlay zones and generic environmental impact statements Sustainable TOD WHAT REGULATORY CHANGES

46 #1: Uncoordinated Other Actions federal and to state Support regulations pose impediments to mixed-use, mixed-income TOD Allow more flexibility in housing and transportation funding to support mixeduse development Reduce number of multiple permits and applications Ease parking regulations that make development more expensive Provide federal tax credits for energy conservation or economic resiliency districts Expand use of overlay zones and generic environmental impact statements Sustainable TOD WHAT REGULATORY CHANGES WILL HAVE THE MOST BENEFICIAL IMPACT? With impetus from Partnership for Sustainable Communities, CNU and others, FHA financing rules are being reformed to allow more mixed-use development 46

47 A recap of potential approaches... Cross-accepted plans Transportation Common plan sections Comprehensive, master and vision Conservation and development Transportation & Coordinated Public Transit-Human Services Spatially-specific approaches HUD consolidated Hazard mitigation Transportation, energy, economic development and sustainability Critical transportation corridor/project partnerships Overlay districts Generic environmental impact statements

48 Discussing the potential approaches... Of the planning needs identified, which are most important to address? Is anything missing? How can community members meaningfully participate in local and regional planning processes? What type of meeting and outreach would encourage participation? What kind of information would be useful? What would build trust that ideas are heard and influence outcomes? Do the cross-acceptance or other proposals make sense? What other information is needed to evaluate them? What other actions are needed to create more sustainable and equitable development?

49 QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS Contact Brian Dennis, with questions or comments on the presentation, or visit for general information on the initiative.

NEW YORK AND CONNECTICUT SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES. Fair Housing & Equity Assessment & Regional Planning Enhancement

NEW YORK AND CONNECTICUT SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES Fair Housing & Equity Assessment & Regional Planning Enhancement November 18, 2013 Fordham University Bronx, NY Federal grant to improve regional planning