The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) [1] has made $20,229,156 available to fair housing organizations across the nation working to fight housing discrimination. The funds are marked for a number of initiatives, including fair housing testing, education and outreach, and capacity building, and are being provided through HUD’s Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) [2].
"The work HUD's fair housing partners do is critical to our efforts to ensure that every person and family that calls America home has an equal shot when it comes to obtaining housing," said HUD's Acting Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Jeanine Worden [3]. "HUD is committed to providing these groups with the funding they need to carry out their many important activities.”
The categories of grants being made available include:
- Education and Outreach Initiative (EOI): EOI provides funding to develop, implement, carry out and coordinate education and outreach programs that inform the public about their rights and responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act, and state or local fair housing laws that provide rights and remedies substantially equivalent to those provided under the Fair Housing Act. These activities may include, but are not limited to, developing brochures and other printed materials, producing public service announcements, creating websites and conducting training. All EOI grantees are required to have a procedure for referring possible fair housing violations to HUD or a certified state or local agency. HUD has made $7,223,649 in grants available for EOI initiatives.
- Fair Housing Organizations Initiative (FHOI): FHOI grants provide funds to non-profit fair housing organizations to build their capacity and effectiveness to conduct enforcement related activities, particularly rural areas or areas with a large influx of immigrants. The goal of FHOI is to build the capacity in fair housing to conduct enforcement activities, including investigating, mediating, and litigating housing discrimination complaints, as well as testing housing providers for unlawful discrimination. HUD has made $2,250,000 in grants available for FHOI initiatives.
- Private Enforcement Initiative (PEI): PEI provides funding to private, tax-exempt fair housing enforcement organizations for the investigation of housing discrimination complaints and the administrative or judicial enforcement of the Fair Housing Act and state or local fair housing laws that provide rights and remedies substantially equivalent to those provided under the Fair Housing Act. PEI recipients conduct intake, investigation, mediation, and litigation of housing discrimination complaints and perform tests of housing, lending and insurance markets. HUD has made $10,755,507 in grants available for PEI initiatives.
Each year, HUD makes funding available to support organizations that enforce the nation’s fair housing laws and policies, as well as educate the public, housing providers, and local governments about their rights and responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act [4].