Training

The proposed training, to be offered by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is of paramount importance in addressing the urgent and persistent housing disparities that plague our country. HUD, a key player in meeting the nation's housing needs and combating housing discrimination, is tasked with fostering inclusive and sustainable communities and ensuring the availability of affordable housing for all (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, n.d.).

A needs assessment has revealed a significant need for training around equitable housing practices, particularly in addressing racism and economic inequality in housing. Current research indicates that there are unjust biases in housing policies that continue to have a discriminatory impact on people of color (McElwain, 2023). Therefore, it is imperative for HUD employees to develop a heightened awareness of social equity when formulating housing policies and urban development strategies. This will improve policy implementation and equip the staff with the necessary skills to implement fair housing concepts.

The proposed training will be supplemented with training designed for both ordinary staff and managerial levels, therefore providing efficiency by reaching tier one—those who set policies—as well as tier two—those who implement them in practice. The training will involve all the participants across the company, ensuring that change starts from the company level and continues to the participant level regarding equitable housing practices.

The proposed training topic is Social Equity in Housing Policy and Practice. Emphasis will be on the systemic and structural nature of discrimination, the role of legislation regulating discrimination, such as the Fair Housing Act, and real-life strategies for involving diverse populations in urban development processes (McElwain, 2023).

The training will be offered in a blended delivery mode where face-to-face sessions will be delivered in conjunction with online mode. The form of the preliminary structure is characterized by group discussions, case and teamwork, application of interactive and presentations approaches. Such format ensures flexibility while at the same time ensuring all participants are involved in the discussion.

References

McElwain, K. (2023, July). Promoting equity: Five strategies public housing agencies can use to improve resident outcomes. The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO). https://www.nahro.org/journal_article/promoting-equity-five-strategies-public-housing-agencies-can-use-to-improve-resident-outcomes/

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (n.d.). Hud.gov / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD.gov / U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). https://www.hud.gov/

Instructions of the final project

Final Project (Written Report 25%; Presentation/Demonstration 10%): Total 35%

Introduction

The purpose of the final project is to encourage students to design a training session for a selected public agency to fulfill the related goals of public management. The designed training session should be aligned with one of our weekly topics (i.e., social equity). The designed training will be demonstrated with slides. The demonstration slides and written report—which articulates the design purposes, design contents, and anticipated effects—should be submitted no later than Oct. 11th. The following sections respectively address the requirements of the designed training program, proposal, presentation, and written report.

The Designed Training & Demonstration (10%)

• Format. The training design should be interactive, incorporating various methods to engage participants and avoid one-way communication.

• Topic. The topic should relate to weekly class topics (Equitable housing practices addressing racism and economic inequality )

• Contents. The designed training should include, but not limited to, (1) Introduction: Define the purpose and outline the procedures of the training, (2) Explanations: Discuss relevant concepts related to the topic, (3) Examples: Provide cases or examples illustrating the topic, (4) Interactive activities: Include some activities to facilitate participation, and (5) Assessment: Demonstrate how the participants’ learning outcomes will be measured (i.e., FAQs, short quiz, role playing, or group discussion…etc.).

• Demonstration. Submit a file of slides (15-20 pages) that demonstrates the training.

• Others. (1) The training should last between 30 to 60 minutes. (2) A sample from New York State is available on Canvas for reference

The Written Report (25%)

The emphasis of the written report is describing the rationale of the designed program. The related elements are explained as follows.

• Introduction. Present the selected agency and its needs, as described in the proposal. Clearly state the training program’s objectives.

• Design rationale. Explain the overall design of the training and its rationale. For instance, if a case of racial discrimination is included, justify its relevance and what insights it provides.

• Preliminary evaluation. Conduct a preliminary evaluation to demonstrate that the training meets the identified needs and is likely to be effective.

• Notes: (1) Required length: 5-7 pages. (2) All figures/ pictures/ tables should be placed in the appendix section. (3) There should be a reference list indicating what sources have been cited (in a separate page)