Deltona launches housing equity plan process, seeks public input on fair housing

The City of Deltona this week launched a public process to draft a housing equity plan intended to identify barriers to fair housing and set measurable goals to address them, city staff and a consultant said at a community meeting.

City of Deltona community development manager Angela Bridal opened the session and introduced Carter Burton, director of housing and community development at the Florida Housing Coalition, who outlined the plan’s scope and the public participation process. “Community engagement is really the reason why you’re here today because we can’t develop these documents and we can’t get… fair housing without your input,” Burton said.

The plan will analyze patterns of segregation and integration, disparities in access to opportunity (for example transportation, employment and health care), distribution of affordable housing and homeownership opportunities, and local laws or policies that might impede housing access, Burton said. She described the effort as aligned with HUD’s proposed rule on Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) and said the city is preparing the plan in a similar format so it will be ready if the rule is finalized.

Why it matters: Deltona receives Community Development Block Grant…