Georgetown has Dodged a Bullet

Thanks to the Trump administration, an obscure rule called Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing(AFFH) has been recinded/replaced. HUD sought to remake America’s cities, towns and villages, forcing any community that was getting federal funds to meet racial quotas,  Team Trump just called a halt to the Obama-era war on American suburbs

Since Georgetown is large enough in population to apply directly for HUD funds, they would have been subject to these AFFH rules that would  have resulted in HUD bureaucrats dictating zoning, density and other rules governing local housing.

Now Georgetown can proceed to approve housing units that are compatible with local values.

Watch Out For Sustinable Housing

Georgetown has experienced the completion of three tax advantaged apartments complexes along Williams Drive recently. These apartment developers received a federal tax break and in return they rent to federally subsidized renters. This is already increasing the load on traffic and schools.

Currently Georgetown receives small grants from HUD through the county and they have been used for sidewalks and similar activities. Since surpassing 50,000 population, Georgetown is eligible to receive grants directly from HUD. Those interested in maintaining control of housing in Georgetown must be vigilant to assure the city does not apply and accept housing grants from HUD.

Here are the types of "strings" attached to HUD housing grants.Technocracy News

"The root of these actions are found in “fair housing” policies dictated by the federal Housing and Urban Development Agency (HUD). The affected communities have all taken HUD grants. There is very specific language in those grants that suggest single family homes are a cause of discrimination. Specifically, through the HUD program called Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH), the agency is taking legal action against communities that use “discriminating zoning ordinances that discourage the development of affordable, multifamily housing…”. The suits are becoming a widely used enforcement tool for the agency.

To enforce its social engineering policies HUD demands the following from communities that have applied for or taken HUD grants:

• First, HUD forces the community to complete an “Assessment of Fair Housing” to identify all “contributing factors” to discrimination. These include a complete breakdown of race, income levels, religion, and national origin of every single person living there. They use this information to determine if the neighborhood meets a preset “balance,” determined by HUD.

• Second, HUD demands a detailed plan showing how the community intends to eliminate the “contributing factors” to this “imbalance.”

• Once the plan is prepared, then the community is required to sign an agreement to take no actions that are “materially inconsistent with its obligation to affirmatively further fair housing.”

Previous city councilman, Keith Brainard, recognized the dangers when he stated: "Under AFFH, once a town takes HUD money, it effectively loses control not only over housing, but schools, zoning, transportation, the environment and business location. If we take HUD money, we play by their rules."

Pay particular attention to the 2030 Comprehensive Plan that the city staff is preparing. Government has no role in supporting,providing or managing housing, sustainable or otherwise. That is a progressive idea that results in more control over property and citizens in a community, which the tax payers gets to fund.