The City has prepared an Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH) as part of the Housing Element Update. The AFH builds upon an analysis completed in early 2021, aims to meet state and federal requirements, and incorporates local data and community input. The Housing Element is currently under review by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and out for public review. For updates on this process and to provide comments, please visit Housing Element Update website.

Dwellings, the podcast of the San José Housing Department, interviewed Ruth Cueto from the Planning Department and Kristen Clements from the Housing Department to help residents understand how the Housing Element Update will impact San José's future. Listen to Dwellings episode 9: San José’s Housing Element here.

The AFH will also feed into an Assessment of Fair Housing Plan that will analyze fair housing issues, establish goals, and identify policies, strategies, and actions.

WHAT IS FAIR HOUSING?

Fair Housing refers to policies and actions that prevent discrimination, expand choices, and address racial and economic disparities in housing. It involves both increasing investment in underserved communities and fostering inclusive neighborhoods throughout the city.  

State and federal Fair Housing laws were initially designed to prohibit racial discrimination and/or promote racial integration in housing. Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) now goes beyond just stopping problematic behavior. AFFH is a requirement that federal agencies, federal grantees, and public agencies actively address and work to eliminate housing discrimination and segregation.  This requires they take meaningful actions, in addition to combating discrimination, to overcome patterns of segregation and to foster inclusive communities free from barriers that restrict residents’ access to opportunity.  

Fair housing law prohibits discriminatory acts based upon “protected characteristics” or “protected classes” because these characteristics have regularly caused barriers in access to housing and employment. The table below lists the protected classes the City’s AFH work focuses on.

*Age is protected in employment and housing discrimination law. 

WHAT IS THE HOUSING ELEMENT?  

The Housing Element is a component of San José's Envision 2040 General Plan. It identifies the City’s housing needs, goals, strategies and policies. All cities in California must update their Housing Element every eight years and submit it to the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for certification. Cities are now working on the Housing Element Update for the 2023-2031 cycle.

For the first time — in response to AB 686 (2018) — this cycle must include an Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH), a site inventory that helps dismantle housing segregation, and programs that "affirmatively further fair housing."  

Refer to the Housing Element Update page for more information.

WHAT WILL THE ASSESSMENT OF FAIR HOUSING INCLUDE? 

The AFH in the Housing Element must analyze patterns and develop solutions related to: 

• Enforcement of Fair Housing laws and associated outreach;
• Integration and segregation at the neighborhood and regional levels;
• Racially or ethnically concentrated areas of poverty;
• Disparities in access to opportunity; and
• Disproportionate housing needs, including displacement risk.

The AFH must consider factors that cause, increase, contribute to, maintain, or perpetuate these patterns and incorporate local data and knowledge. Public outreach is an important part of the process. 

The Assessment of Fair Housing Plan that the City is preparing in parallel with the Housing Element Update will include similar information. It will also contain additional considerations and strategies to address issues identified in our City.   

HOW IS THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED? 

The City's Planning Division and Housing Department are undertaking a joint public outreach and community engagement process to guide the Housing Element Update and Assessment of Fair Housing Plan. We are seeking to hear from all voices and we hope you will join us! 

• Sign up to receive email updates about the Assessment of Fair Housing here.
• See our Meetings & Public Engagement page for detailed information about current and past events.

If you have questions or want to provide feedback, send an email to the Housing Department contacts listed below.

PROJECT HISTORY AND TIMELINE 

Federal and state requirements have driven the Assessment of Fair Housing process. 

• 2015: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) created the Assessment of Fair Housing (AFH) process to improve enforcement and implementation of the Fair Housing Act of 1968. 

• 2017: The City prepared an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (2016-2020), a federally required document that describes the City’s Fair Housing needs and provides strategies to address those needs. 

• 2018: The Trump Administration made HUD’s AFH process optional, and the California Legislature passed Assembly Bill 686 (Santiago). AB 686 requires Housing Elements to include an AFH, essentially locking in HUD's 2015 guidance. 

• 2019: The City began work on an AFH to support the development of the five-year Consolidated Plan, a requirement for receiving HUD funds, and joined other local jurisdictions in Santa Clara County in a joint outreach process. 

• September 2019: Staff presented a report on AFH and work plan to the Housing and Community Development Commission. 

• October 2019: Staff presented a report and workplan on AFH to City Council’s Neighborhood Services and Education Committee. 

• 2020: Staff decided to split work on the AFH into two phases due to the COVID-19 pandemic and need to focus on emergency response. Based on findings of needs from AFH work from 2019-20, City Council approved the 2020-25 Consolidated Plan in August 2020.

• April 2021: HCD released a detailed guide to assist local governments in meeting AB 686 requirements.  

• June 2021: Staff presented the findings from the first phase of AFH work to City Council. 

The anticipated timeline for the second phase of AFH work is shown below. It aligns with the Housing Element Update schedule. The target for City Council consideration of both documents is late 2022. The specific timing of these major milestones is subject to change. 

DOCUMENTS & RESOURCES

City of San José 

• Memo to City Council on the Assessment of Fair Housing (initial findings) (June 8, 2021) 
• Presentation to Committees (May 20, 2021) 
• 2016-2020 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice: a federally-required document that describes the city’s fair housing needs and provides strategies to address those needs. 
• Final 2014-2023 Final Housing Element
• Other Housing Policies, Plans, and Reports 

State Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) 

• HCD page on Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing in California
• HCD Guide to Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing for Local Governments  

External Resources on Fair Housing 

•  Housing Segregation and Redlining in America: A Short History | Code Switch | NPR
• Segregated by Design – How U.S. policies segregated our cities
• The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America, Richard Rothstein, 2016 
• For Whites Only: Shocking language found in property docs throughout Bay Area,” San Jose Mercury News, Marisa Kendall, Feb. 26, 2019

More resources on racial equity are on the City Manager’s Racial Equity Resources page.

CONTACT

Media Inquiries can be sent to, housingcomms@sanjoseca.gov