The City of Hot Springs and the Hot Springs Housing Authority are working together to prepare a fair housing study that looks at housing choice and access to community resources. Known as an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI), this study will discuss how residents decide where to live, what neighborhoods offer the most opportunity, and other fair and affordable housing issues in Hot Springs. It will also outline strategies the city and housing authority plan to take to improve fair housing. The AI is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for jurisdictions and public housing authorities that receive federal community development and affordable housing grant funds.
To facilitate local input into these studies, the city and housing authority will hold a community workshop open to the general public at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 28 at the Transportation Depot, 100 Broadway Terrace.
The process is heavily influenced by the ideas and opinions of local residents, whose input is solicited through the public workshop listed above and an online survey. Both are open to the general public and will provide residents of Hot Springs an opportunity to have their input incorporated into the fair housing plan.
The survey is available online at www.surveymonkey.com/r/HotSpringsHousing. Hard copies are also available at the Hot Springs Planning & Development Department at City Hall, 133 Convention Boulevard.
A draft of the completed study will be available for public review during the fall of 2018. Updates and additional information about the project will be posted at www.cityhs.net/563/Community-Development.