Lessons from California’s Statewide Efforts to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing

To counter the impacts of decades of discriminatory housing policies and worsening racial segregation, the State of California established a number of Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) strategies. Designed to foster racially and economically inclusive, opportunity-rich communities, these efforts were intended to facilitate effective local fair housing planning and enacting statewide policies to promote integrated communities. 

This policy brief summarizes research conducted jointly with Abt Global on behalf of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It highlights five key AFFH strategies—such as incentivizing affordable housing developments in high-resource areas, developing anti-displacement tools, and investing in community revitalization in designated neighborhoods—noting areas of progress and where additional efforts are needed. It examines California’s successes and challenges since 2016, offering recommendations for other states working toward fair housing goals.

The full case study, “Advancing Fair Housing at the State Level: Lessons from California and other States’ Efforts to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing,” a joint effort with Abt Global and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, was available on the HUD Exchange website. It is no longer available through the HUD site, but you can access a PDF of the case study.

Authors:

Christi Economy, Research Associate

Access the policy brief