From our friends at Sustainable Freedom Lab
(AFFH is part of a larger government scheme to remove land use control from local jurisdictions as they are forced to join larger regions.)
When Castle Rock, CO refused to apply for a HUD grant, the recipients of the money were upset. But, Castle Rock had done their homework. Their response to the grantees should be read by every public official who ever considers accepting a federal grant.
HUD’s shielded their 2015 rule, Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing from public view for nearly a year.
The agency withheld the proposal announcement from the spring and fall 2012 Unified Agendas. The Office of Management and Budget finally released the proposal to the public on December 21, 2012, during the Christmas holiday, after government operations had shut down. Because of the timing of the release, AFFH received little notice.
Now we know why.
Through a labyrinth of application requirements and legalese, the agency can force HUD grant recipients to…
– reverse voters decisions,
– alter zoning laws and land use regulations, and
– join a region against the community’s will
In the history of HUD, there has never been this type of dangerous grab of local authority and personal property rights. The Castle Rock letter explains.
“Thank you for your letter concerning CDBG funds and the Town of Castle Rock. Last year, when faced with the question of whether the Town should become an entitlement community under the CDBG program, the Council declined to pursue that status because it would result in unclear and unwarranted interference from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). For years, Castle Rock has accepted various grant monies offered by HUD through Douglas County. This money was parceled out by Town Council mainly to fix alleyways and make curbs ADA accessible. But last year HUD added very alarming strings to the grants; 377 pages of new rules that give HUD drastic new powers over our cities and counties that in affect eliminate the zoning and planning powers of your local elected officials which can now be overruled by HUD bureaucrats in Washington DC.”