October 16, 2014
In recent weeks we’ve seen a variety of press releases from the FHA/HUD discussing settlements in cases where HUD investigated alleged violations of the Fair Housing Act and other anti-discrimination housing laws. Now, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has issued a press release announcing millions of dollars in federal funds being awarded to agencies trying to raise awareness of Fair Housing laws.
According to HUDNo. 14-123, “The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded $38.3 million to more than 100 fair housing organizations and other non-profit agencies in 43 states and the District of Columbia to address housing discrimination.”
The HUD press release says that competitive grants in this area are funded via the HUD Fair Housing Initiatives Program, “to help enforce the Fair Housing Act through investigations and testing of alleged discriminatory practices, and to help educate housing providers, local governments and potential victims of housing discrimination about their rights and responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act.”
“Ending housing discrimination is at the core of HUD’s mission and it takes dedicated people on the ground to address it,” said HUD Secretary Julián Castro in the HUD press release, adding, “These funds support community-based organizations that do great work every day on the front lines in the fight for fairness and equality in our nation’s housing market.”
The Department of Housing and Urban Development turns 50 in 2015, and according to the press release, HUD has a keen interest in, “advancing policies that level the playing fields for all Americans by combating housing discrimination.”
Grants awarded by HUD include the following as mentioned in the press release:
Private Enforcement Initiative grants (PEI)– HUD awarded $29.2 million to help local non-profit fair housing organizations carry out testing and enforcement activities to prevent or eliminate discriminatory housing practices.
Education and Outreach Initiative grants (EOI)– HUD awarded $5.5 million to groups that educate the public and housing providers about their rights and responsibilities under federal, state, and local fair housing laws.
Fair Housing Organizations Initiative (FHOI) – HUD awarded $3.6 million to help build the capacity and effectiveness of non-profit fair housing organizations, particularly organizations that focus on the rights and needs of underserved groups, such as rural and immigrant populations, and support broader geographic availability of fair housing resources.
Joe Wallace has been specializing in military and personal finance topics since 1995. His work has appeared on Air Force Television News, The Pentagon Channel, ABC and a variety of print and online publications. He is a 13-year Air Force veteran and a member of the Air Force Public Affairs Alumni Association. He was Managing editor for www.valoans.com for (8) years and is currently the Associate Editor for FHANewsblog.com.
Browse by Date: