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Fair-housing testing RFP, staffing gaps and HUD ties draw scrutiny at council hearing
Summary
Officials told the council they plan to issue a multi-year fair-housing testing RFP aimed at rental discrimination, while councilors and advocates pressed for a permanent fair-housing director and raised concerns about enforcement capacity as HUD oversight intensifies.
The Office of Fair Housing and Equity told the Council it is finalizing a multi-year request for proposals to run rental-focused testing designed to detect discrimination, with peer testing described as the "gold standard." Mike Etter, deputy chief of operations for the equity cabinet, said the city plans to track trends across protected classes and that external funds (including federal grants) will be used to support the program.
Councilors repeatedly flagged staffing gaps: the executive director position for the fair-housing office has been vacant since the prior director's death in early 2025, and officials said they expect to post and hire the executive director and an outreach/education manager later in the year. Advocates and councilors said the vacancy weakened the city's enforcement and outreach capacity at a moment when housing discrimination remains prevalent.
Advocates asked whether the city has previously run testing and how many investigations the office processes annually; staff said testing contracts have not been active in the recent year and that the office is currently handling "a little over two dozen" open investigations, with HUD reporting and grant-payment timing affecting revenue and operations. Councilors requested a timeline and the draft RFP text and sought records showing the number of investigations and HUD payments for FY24—FY26.
The hearing closed with the administration promising to provide the RFP and an updated hiring timeline; councilors and community groups urged expedited action, saying testing and full staffing are essential to detect voucher discrimination and other persistent housing barriers.
