Regional Fair Housing Group

Overview

Since 1996, local governments in the Baltimore metropolitan area have coordinated in carrying out their duty to affirmatively further fair housing under the federal Fair Housing Act of 1968. Most recently they have worked with the Baltimore Metropolitan Council (BMC) and local public housing agencies (PHAs) to create a new 2020 Regional Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI), analyzing fair-housing-related disparities in opportunity and creating action plans to address them over the coming five years. From 2012 to 2020 , also with assistance from BMC, the jurisdictions PHAs implemented the Regional Fair Housing Action Plan from their 2012 Regional AI, including establishing a Regional Rental Housing Affordability Preservation Policy and a Regional Project-Based Voucher Program.

Purpose and Mission

To provide a forum where local governments and public housing authorities (PHAs) in the Baltimore area can carry out coordinated planning and implementation of their duty to affirmatively further fair housing.

Membership

The Fair Housing Group includes housing and community development officials from the cities of Annapolis and Baltimore, as well as Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Harford, and Howard Counties. It also includes representatives from those jurisdictions' human relations or civil rights agencies as well as leaders from public housing authorities in each of the jurisdictions. The chair and vice chair positions rotate annually among the members.