By Kevin Aldridge
The Cincinnati Enquirer

DOWNTOWN - An on-site performance review by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development into whether the city used discriminatory practices in distributing federal money will be the topic of two city council committees today. .

Officials from HUD's Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Division were in Cincinnati all last week collecting data from 1998-2003 on how the city disseminated millions of federal dollars through its Community Development Block Grant programs.

The review was conducted to determine if the city's programs are being implemented in accordance with the 1964 Civil Rights Act. It was prompted in part by discrimination complaints lodged by two residents - Dr. Stanley Broadnax, a former Cincinnati health commissioner and William Finnell, a local developer.

The men claimed that African-American neighborhoods have received less public investment to support development of jobs, housing and business districts. They also alleged that property owners and developers in those areas have received less development assistance than their white counterparts.

The city of Cincinnati gets about $26 million a year from HUD for its housing and block grant programs.

HUD will present the city with results of the investigation by Sept. 30.

If HUD finds that the city has violated the Civil Rights Act, the two bodies would have to agree on a remedy.

city.

"We've got to get down to the truth," said Vice-Mayor Alicia Reece.

Reece has asked the city administration to prepare a report responding to the allegations.

"We should look at it in a positive light," said Deborah Holston, assistant city manager in charge of development. "This is not an I-got-you sort of thing."

Several civil rights organizations - including the Cincinnati Black United Front and Concerned Citizens for Justice - held a public forum last week. Victoria Straughn, president of Concerned Citizens, said information gathered will be forwarded to HUD.

"We are happy this investigation is taking place," Straughn said.

"We need development in communities that have been ignored so they can be sustainable," Straughn said.

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E-mail kaldridge@enquirer.com