Greensboro officials want more information on housing in the city — specifically, barriers to fair housing. There’s a public meeting at the Central Library this evening to hear from residents. 

The meeting is the first step in the city’s process of receiving and allocating federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The city wants feedback on barriers to obtaining housing based on things such as income, disability, and national origin. To get that feedback, they’ve put out an online survey in multiple languages and will take public comments tonight.

Caitlin Bowers with the city says then they will create what's called a Consolidated Plan.

“We need to be able to use this analysis of impediments to fair housing to then be able to know where our money is going to be best spent and how,” she says.

Federal funds, in this case, can be used for things such as housing rehabilitation and support for first-time homebuyers. The process of creating an Assessment of Fair Housing and Consolidated Plan happens every five years.