Two More Counties Say No to HUD, Refuse Federal FundsBy Mike Maharrey Castle Rock, a community of 55,000 people in central Colorado, recently decided to refuse funds from the federal governments Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Sedgwick County, Kansas and Douglas County, Colorado have now joined it. New HUD regulations known as Affirmatively Further Fair Housing (AFFH) totaling 377 pages in all gives the unelected HUD bureaucrats broad powers over grant recipient communities, including the power to reverse electoral decisions by local voters and force them to join regions against the their wishes. Under AFFH, the federal government can control zoning, planning, land use, location of public transportation, and even the socioeconomic diversity of elementary and secondary classrooms. Sedgwick County commissioner Richard Ranzau told Property Value Defense the thought of accepting the HUD grant money was enticing. But he and three other commissioners ultimately reached the same conclusion. Do we really want the federal government to control all of our zoning? Its just not worth it. On June 1, 2016, the commissioners voted to refuse any HUD money associated with AFFH. If we did accept this money and all of the governments control, what happens to our county in the future? We will be tying future officials hands and sticking them with zoning and planning and our community will have no say, Ranzau said. Douglas County initially wanted to work with HUD, according to Property Value Defense. The county has accepted HUD block grants for over a decade. But the AFFH rules raised some red flags. Commissioner David Weaver said he became more concerned when he saw in HUDs certification papers that the agency required, A policy prohibiting the use of excessive force by law enforcement agencies within its jurisdiction against any individuals engaged in non-violent civil rights demonstrations. This raised concerns because the county has nothing to do with the training and deployment of local police forces. Anyway, what does this have to do with affordable housing? Weaver said became obvious and disturbing that HUD was expanding their authority beyond reasonable bounds. The county forwarded a concerned response to HUD noting hazy definitions and conflicting wording that could leave the county liable for lawsuits and erase part of their authority. But Weaver said HUD would not get back to us. When the county did speak with HUD, the agency was evasive and did not even tell them of a 60-day extension for the agencys hearings, according to Property Value Defense. Ultimately the county voted not to accept the funding. We knew that we could not rely on HUD, because they were not honest with us, Weaver said, Weavers response when a reporter asked how the council would handle the heat from the decision is revealing, There is no heat. We made a decision and will find a way to fill the hole. It is what we always did before HUD came along. [Emphasis added] Towns, counties and states need to follow the lead of these three communities and reject federal funding with all of its strings. While the money with the promise of funding wonderful projects serves as an enticing carrot, a large stick inevitably follows. By taking the money, cities, towns, counties and states forfeit control over their own communities. Instead, bureaucrats in D.C. get to dictate and direct local concerns. It isnt about helping poor people. Its about command and control. State and local government cant complain when they willingly let the feds bribe them into relinquishing control. But they can refuse the money. Like Weaver said, communities managed a long time without federal handouts. They can do it again. This is the simplest and most effective nullification strategy there is: if you dont want the federal control, dont take the money. Its as simple as that. Yay. Im in ks, glad they r doin somethin right!! I agree with HUDs basic goal of providing affordable housing to low-income persons who would otherwise die on the fringe of over-priced/inflated real estate markets, and does that job well, at least for its clients. Anything beyond that is over-reach. It seems HUD is trying to get involved in local politics in terms of police brutality, which the Federal government is partly responsible for creating by selling police departments military hardware. So I would say dont just refuse HUD money unless you also refuse federal militarization of local police. The county has nothing to do with training of local police? Really? If the county pays then training is under its perview. Congrats Castle Rockand its a great place to live.KUDOS, not playing and keeping the creep ay bay, nice. HUD = Hustlers Unaccountable Degenerates 