AIA Responds to Trump Administration Rollback of Fair Housing Policy
HUD rollback of Fair Housing policy puts communities at risk
Housing inequities in American communities will be exacerbated by dismantled rule.
WASHINGTON – July 29, 2020 – The American Institute of Architects (AIA) condemns the recently announced rollback of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) provision (2015) of the 1968 Fair Housing Act.
Under the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule, communities receiving federal subsidies were required to analyze racial segregation in housing and then submit plans to reverse such trends. The AFFH rule had been weakened in recent years. In 2018, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) eliminated the Local Government Assessment Tool, which was designed to help local governments combat racial segregation in subsidized housing. However, the Administration’s latest actions have officially nullified the original AFFH rule and its intent.
“AIA strongly opposes the Administration’s dismantling of this critical rule,” said AIA EVP/Chief Executive Officer Robert Ivy, FAIA. “Our federal government should confront the legacy of discriminatory housing policies as intended in the Fair Housing Act of 1968, not shrink away from the responsibility of ensuring our communities are equitable. At such a critical moment in time for addressing racial inequity, it’s clear we need to do more, not less, to provide equitable opportunity to all Americans, especially for a basic human need such as shelter.”
AIA has had a longstanding commitment to equitable communities, including advocating for affordable housing initiatives. On Jan. 24, AIA 2020 President Jane Frederick, FAIA, and AIA 2019 President Bill Bates, FAIA, met with the HUD assistant secretary for policy development and research to share AIA’s affordable housing priorities. Additionally, AIA provided comment on Jan. 31—following a request from HUD leadership—regarding the Administration’s call to eliminate regulatory barriers to affordable housing.
Learn more about AIA’s advocacy efforts online.
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Ohio 133rd General Assembly Legislative Update
Click here to view the status of current General Assembly bills related to the practice of architecture.
Ohio Valley Region Practice Innovation Lab | 2019
Supreme Court Overturns Local Hiring Preferences
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Ohio Capitol Connection
Facilities Commission Cites Improvements in 2018 Review
The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) received its “2018 Executive Director’s Report” Thursday (10/25/2018), which provided a broad overview of its activities over the past year, highlighting the increase in projects being completed on-time and on-budget.
Commission staff member Jeff Westhoven informed the body that 88.9 percent of projects were on or under budgets, 77.8 percent of projects were on or ahead of schedule and 100 percent of agency facilities have been condition assessed within the past fiscal year, among other positive indicators.
In the Ohio Auditor’s FY17 Report, no negative findings appeared, and the OFCC is currently overseeing more than $2.1 billion worth of projects.
He said 61 percent of Ohio school districts have received interactions from the OFCC, which is a key way new construction projects are affecting Ohioans. He highlighted news clippings lauding new school facilities, and he showed a picture of young students in their new building for the first time, noting a “100 percent smile rate.”
Having happy students can decrease absenteeism rates, he said, which can be improved by modernizing school learning environments.
He added that Ohio is the top state in the nation for its number of environmentally friendly schools, with 321 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified schools. According to Westhoven, schools using the Ohio School Design Manual typically save $100,000 in annual energy costs.
Regarding state services, Westhoven said new energy practices in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and the Ohio Department of Administrative services have saved the state over $50 million annually.
In addition, he said one-of-five Encouraging Diversity, Growth and Equity (EDGE) dollars is spent towards OFCC projects.
Looking at the recent consolidation of three organizations into the OFCC (formerly the Ohio School Facilities Commission, the Office of State Architect and the Cultural Facilities Grants Program), Westhoven said that was a success as well. He noted a 17 percent reduction in spending on personnel and leased space, an adoption of the best practices of each organization and a streamlined information technology system that allows for quicker processing and completion of contracts.
Also during the meeting, the OFCC approved its “Priority Order of Assistance List” that determines which schools are next in line to receive renovations and it approved a “Master Facilities Plan and Project Agreement” for construction and renovations in Little Miami Local School District. The full cost of that project is expected to be $51.6 million.
2018-1019 Group Rating Safety Accountability Letter
July 2018
Dear Employer:
Each year Ohio employers have the opportunity to participate in BWC’s Group-Experience-Rating Program or Group-Retrospective-Rating Program. While these programs are not required, they do provide you with an opportunity to significantly reduce your workers’ compensation premiums, while increasing your awareness of safety and risk-management strategies.
Workplace safety is an important component of these programs. To succeed in accident prevention, we encourage you to use the many resources available to you. We believe a group-rating program is a partnership that includes you and your employees, your sponsoring organization or third-party administrator (TPA) and BWC. Each has specific roles and responsibilities, all designed to assist in preventing workplace accidents. This letter outlines the safety services expectations you should have as an employer enrolled in a group-rating program.
The employer will:
- Maintain a safe workplace;
- Attend safety training to enhance workplace safety;
- Use BWC’s safety services as needed;
- Fulfill the required two-hour training requirement and provide proof of attendance to sponsor for claim(s) occurring within the last year.
The certified primary and affiliated sponsoring organizations will:
- Sponsor eight hours of safety training (this may be done at one time or may be provided incrementally as long as the total is at least eight hours);
- Provide information regarding safety resources to group members;
- Possibly assist an employer in achieving its safety needs;
- Manage employer fulfillment of the two-hour training requirement, where applicable;
- Publish this letter to group members.
The TPA may:
- Assist sponsoring organizations with fulfilling the group-rating safety requirements;
- Assist an employer with its safety needs;
- Work in conjunction with sponsors to develop safety training and deliver safety resources;
- Provide resources for claims handling.
BWC will:
- Monitor all group-rating safety activities to confirm requirements are met;
- Remain in communication with sponsoring organizations to provide recommendations for fulfilling safety requirements;
- Provide safety training through Ohio’s Center for Occupational Safety & Health;
- Offer on-site safety consultation (hazard assessments, air and noise monitoring, ergonomics evaluation, training) by a BWC safety professional;
- Offer publications and videos for safety program support;
- Conduct employer visits to confirm the employer is meeting group-rating requirements, when appropriate.
The goal of this collaborative effort is to make sure all your safety needs are met. Using these resources will assist you in preventing accidents, reducing claims costs and achieving the highest discounts possible. Below you’ll find contact information for various resources.
Group sponsor:
TPA: CareWorksComp www.careworkscom.com
BWC: https://www.bwc.ohio.gov/employer/services/safetyhygiene.asp, groupratingsafety@bwc.state.oh.us
Opponents of Occupational Licensing Bill Testify (SB 255)
The Senate Oversight and Reform Committee took testimony April 11 on SB255 which would require standing committees of the General Assembly to periodically review occupational licensing boards regarding their sunset, and to require the Legislative Service Commission to perform assessments of occupational licensing bills and state regulation of occupations.
AIA Ohio is working with interested parties on an amendment to the bill that would emphasize the level of national licensure and the substantial equivalency of the license. Sen. McColley has indicated he might accept such an amendment to section 101.63(c)(6).
During the Committee hearing, Joseph Warino, representing the Ohio Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE), testified as an opponent to the bill. He said the bill would “threaten licensing of engineers in the state.
“Adopting a policy of ‘least restrictive regulation’ guidelines for registration could only serve to reduce the knowledge and experience necessary, resulting in substandard qualified engineers to preserve the health and safety of Ohio’s residents.”
Warino added, “The practice of professional licensure has worked well over many years and it should remain in place.”
Also testifying on the bill as an interested party was David Pritchard of the American Society of Civil Engineers, who said the current system of licensure within Ohio is working well and has since 1933.
The committee also received written testimony from Wade Baer of the Ohio Auctioneers Association and Keith Kerns of the Ohio Optometric Association.
Tax Expenditure Review Committee Commences Hearings
The Tax Expenditure Review Committee that eventually will concern itself with Ohio’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit held its first meeting April 11 with an examination of $4.03 billion in forfeited tax revenues, the lion’s share consumed by the sales and use tax exemption on tangible personal property whose buyers manufacture other tangible personal property for sale.
Sen. Scott Oelslager (R-Canton), chairman of the committee, checked off the first three items on the agenda with no testimony: sales to churches and certain other nonprofit organizations, with state revenue losses estimated at $600.1 million and county and transit authority losses at $147 million in FY18; sales by churches and certain types of nonprofit organizations, with state losses of $45.7 million and county and transit authority losses of $11.2 million in the current fiscal year; and sales to the state, any of its political subdivisions and to certain other states, with state losses of $122.9 million and county and transit authority losses of $30.1 million in FY18.
The tangible personal property (TPP) item — with estimated state losses of $2.21 billion and county and transit authority losses of $541.6 million in FY18 — drew testimony from five witnesses.
Senior Project Director Wendy Patton of Policy Matters Ohio presented testimony on tax expenditures as a whole, urging members to take a harder look at the exemptions they review. “HB9 outlined specific criteria for the committee to consider in deciding whether each expenditure should be continued, repealed, modified or scheduled for further review.”
“In conducting your review, the committee should look into more detailed questions ,” said Patton. “For instance, in examining whether a tax break ‘promotes or would promote growth or retention of high-wage jobs in the state,’ one of the factors permitted under the law, the committee should request data on wage levels for employees at recipient companies, and whether they are paid enough that they and the family members do not need public benefits such as Medicaid and food aid. In considering possible modifications, the committee should consider whether guard rails should be added to ensure that recipients are paying taxes, complying with state laws and providing information that allows for appropriate review of the tax break.”
Patton broadened her focus to address the larger impact of tax expenditures relative to tax reductions.
“The state has cut funding for libraries and local governments and underfunded early childhood education, public transit and other services relative to need. Yet tax expenditures — which have every bit as much impact on the state budget — have continued to grow and proliferate. Beyond a review of specific tax expenditures, the Tax Expenditure Review Committee should look to cut back on tax breaks,” she said. “As the tax counsel to the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association told the 2020 Tax Policy Commission two years ago, ‘To preserve the integrity of the broad tax base and ensure fairness, credits and exemptions should be reduced and discouraged.'”
Responding to Patton the LSC economist was asked for examples of expenditures created with related metrics. LSC staff responded that the commission would have to research the question for “specific goals” linked to certain expenditures that might be subject to some form of measurement.
Public Design Contract Indemnity Bill Heard (HB554)
The House Civil Service Committee took testimony April 12 regarding HB554 that would regulate the use of indemnity provisions in professional design contracts related to public improvements.
Rep. Seitz provided sponsor testimony on the bill, which he said would clarify the indemnity provisions in contracts entered into by professional design firms.
“The fundamental purpose of this bill is fairness. Right now, design professionals are being asked to defend public entities against third party claims before there is a determination that the design professional has committed error. The costs of such defense can be staggering and are beyond the control of the design professional. Just like the presumption of innocence, a design professional should not be presumed responsible for a cost without a determination of wrong-doing,” Seitz said.
“Moreover, this bill is entirely necessary in order to prevent the use of overbroad indemnity clauses to end-run our hard-won tort reform statutes that created a statute of repose,” he continued. “Under today’s law, an architect or engineer is not liable in tort for negligence for more than 10 years after completion of the public improvement. We made this decision — and it has been upheld by the Ohio Supreme Court — to make clear that injuries occurring later than that are due to defective maintenance, not defective design. However, when local governments use overbroad indemnity clauses, they resurrect the architect-engineer’s liability beyond the 10-year statute of repose as a matter of contract law, thus frustrating the public policy of our state.”