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PART III. OTHER ACT IONS BARRIERS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING Actions to Overcome or Eliminate the Effects of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice The City of Pleasanton is an active member of the Alameda County HOME Consortium. In January 2010, the Consortium completed an updated Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing as part of its fair housing planning program. The document was completed with input from each participating jurisdiction in the Consortium. A Consortium -level approach was felt to be appropriate for this analysis because the constraints to fair housing choice, as well as the opportunities to address these constraints, are common to the jurisdictions in our subregion. The HOME Consortium Analysis of Impediments includes demographic information for each jurisdiction, an evaluation of each jurisdiction's fair housing status, a description of public and private impediments to fair housing choice, and an assessment of current public and private fair housing programs. The City provides fair housing and housing counseling services to area residents through a contract with ECHO Housing. The City's funding of this service is high on a per- capita basis relative to other communities, and the majority of this service is paid for with local rather than HUD funds. ECHO's services include investigation of housing discrimination complaints as well as educational seminars for housing managers, owners, realtors, and tenants. In the past year, ECHO responded to approximately a dozen inquiries and /or complaints from Pleasanton residents and property owners. ECHO also conducts annual audits of property owners to verify compliance with fair housing laws such as racial discrimination, familial status, and accessibility for the disabled. The most recent audit, completed in 2010, involved testing for discrimination against families with children. These audits help to identify where impediments to fair housing occur. City staff works with ECHO to address identified impediments. The City began a collaborative effort with ECHO several years ago to provide printed information on below- market housing opportunities in Pleasanton to ECHO clients in an effort to promote access to housing by lower- income persons. ECHO also periodic home buyer education workshops using meeting space provided by the City at no cost. In addition to the general services provide through the City's contract with ECHO Housing, the City has been active in the following areas: • The City has supported a variety of grass -roots efforts over the past decade that have resulted in the construction of new, affordable housing for a wide spectrum of housing needs in the community (family rental, senior, first -time home buyer, disabled, and other special needs). The majority of these efforts have involved local funds. These same materials are used to provide information to the public to promote access to affordable housing in Pleasanton. Action Plan - FY 2011 City of Pleasanton Page 29