FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 26, 2011
Contact
Carol Johnson
Arkansas Fair Housing Commission
501.682.3247 phone
501.682.3271 fax
Arkansas Fair Housing Commission and Arkansas Development Finance Authority
partner to affirmatively further fair housing in Arkansas
Little Rock, AR – On January 21, 2011, the Arkansas Fair Housing Commission and the Arkansas Development Finance Authority signed a memorandum of understanding to affirmatively further fair housing by providing fair housing education, training and outreach to ADFA program participants. Under this agreement identified ADFA program participants (to include architects, property owners, managers, developers and consultants) will be required to complete fair housing training from AFHC as a condition of allocation of any ADFA affordable housing resources.
The intent of the MOU is to enhance communication and cooperation between the two agencies and broaden ADFA program participant compliance with the Arkansas Fair Housing Act.
Carol Johnson, Commission Director, stated that this agreement, signed on the 10th anniversary of the enactment of The Arkansas Fair Housing Act, underscores the state’s commitment to promoting equal housing access for all Arkansans. “This agreement is something both agencies have wanted for some time; it makes sense and sends a strong message that the state of Arkansas is committed to affirmatively furthering fair housing and the development of diverse communities.”
ADFA is Arkansas’ largest source of low-cost financing for low-to-moderate income housing development and also administers several funding sources in the form of tax-exempt bonds and other debt instruments through a series of program activities.
AFHC is a quasi-judicial regulatory enforcement agency that works in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to enforce federal and state fair housing laws.
2011 marks the 10th Anniversary of the Arkansas Fair Housing Act (Act 1785 of 2001, codified at Ark. Code Ann. §16-123-201 et. seq.) which protects individuals and families from discrimination in all housing-related transactions on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and family status.
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