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Palm Coast to repeal and replace fair housing ordinance to align with federal HUD and CDBG requirements
Summary
City staff presented a draft to repeal and replace the Palm Coast fair housing ordinance so the city remains eligible for Community Development Block Grant funds and complies with recent HUD guidance; staff said the replacement will come forward for first reading.
City staff presented a plan at the Jan. 14 Palm Coast City Council workshop to repeal and replace the city’s fair housing ordinance so that it aligns with federal and state requirements tied to Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding.
Jacqueline Gonzales, of the City of Palm Coast’s Community Development Department, summarized the changes staff and consultants recommended. She cited the federal Fair Housing Act — Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 — and said the updated local ordinance adds or clarifies definitions, creates unlawful-housing-practices sections, establishes complaint-processing procedures, and introduces penalties and exemption language to reflect recent U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guidance.
Why it matters: Compliance with the Fair Housing Act and HUD requirements is a condition of receiving CDBG funds; staff told the council that updating the city’s local ordinance is part of maintaining eligibility for federal grant programs.
Details from staff presentation: Gonzales said the revisions included 10 new definitions, additions to sections that previously did not exist (including complaint processing, education and public information, and untruthful-complaint provisions), and a refreshed penalty structure and exemptions. The update is intended to “affirmatively further fair housing,” she told the council, which staff said is required for jurisdictions receiving CDBG funds.
Next steps: Gonzales said the proposed ordinance repeal-and-replace will be brought before the council for a first reading. No vote to adopt the ordinance occurred at the Jan. 14 workshop; staff indicated the item would follow the standard ordinance-reading process.
Public comment and context: Councilors asked about historical results under prior ordinances and were told maintaining an updated ordinance has enabled the city to apply for federal grants in the past. No public controversy or challenge was raised during the workshop on this item.
Ending: Staff will return the proposed ordinance for a formal first reading; the city told the council the change is recommended by the city’s CDBG consultant to keep state and federal compliance current.
