HUD Staff Provide Technical Assistance to NYC Agencies on Fair Housing, Section 3, and Labor Relations

Cory Chu, Contractor Industrial Relations Specialist for HUD's Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement in Region II

Newark, New Jersey Field Office Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity Program Compliance Chief Brenda Edmondson; and Community Planning & Development Disaster Recovery Specialist William Bedford provided Section 3 and civil rights training and technical assistance to the City of New York's Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery staff, as well as staff from approximately 10 City agencies that also receive CDBG or CDBG-DR funds.

HUD's Section 3 ensures that preference for employment, training and contracting opportunities generated from the expenditure of certain HUD funds, is given to local low- and very low-income persons, particularly those who receive federal housing assistance, and businesses that are owned by or substantially employ such persons.

The two-hour training sessions included detailed information on Section 3 and HUD initiatives, including the new HUD Business Partner App, the Section 3 Business Registry, and reporting on the Section 3 Performance Evaluation and Registration System (SPEARS). An overview was also provided on HUD's major civil rights statutes and implementing regulations.

Cory Chu, Contractor Industrial Relations Specialist for HUD's Office of Labor Standards and Enforcement in Region II also provided technical assistance on Davis Bacon and the Related Acts; and Section 3. Cory went over a brief history of the Davis Bacon and its regulations, and how grantees of CDBG-DR funds can remain compliant with HUD and the Department of Labor under the Davis Bacon and Related Acts. Cory also provided insight into how to cross check various documents to ensure reliable information from construction contractors and how to deal with non-compliant contractors in wage restitution situations.

Agencies present at the sessions included OMB- NYC Office of Management and Budget; EDC - NYC Economic Development Corp.; HPD - NYC Housing Preservation & Development; DDC - NYC Department of Design & Construction and NY's "Build-It Back" Programs; ORR - NYC Office of Resiliency & Recovery; HRO - NYC Housing Recovery Operations; DEP - NYC Department of Environmental Protection; DOT - NYC Department of Transportation; NYCHA - New York City Housing Authority Section 3 DR Division; DPR - NYC Department of Parks and Recreation; DFTA - NYC Department of the Aging; and, Hagerty Consultants.

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