WHITE PLAINS – Westchester County has submitted its implementation plan to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development and to the federal monitor overseeing the county’s compliance with last year’s settlement of the fair and affordable housing lawsuit.

Under terms of the agreement entered into by the Spano administration and HUD, the county paid the federal government $30 million, of which the government returned $21.6 million to the county’s HUD account to be used to build 750 units of fair and affordable housing in the 31 communities identified in the settlement.

The county also agreed to add $30 million to its capital budget to build this fair and affordable housing over the next seven years.

Included in the implementation plan are policy statements adopted by the county committing to the elimination of discrimination in housing and the promotion of fair housing principles; model zoning ordinance provision that local governments are being asked to consider; mechanisms to insure that comprehensive affirmative marketing procedures are in place when housing units become available; and public outreach and advertising plans to better inform the community of fair and affordable housing opportunities throughout the county.

The next step is for the HUD appointed federal monitor to review the plan and issue a report n the adequacy of the plan.