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Fair Housing Initiatives Program
3601-3619 or State or local laws that provide substantially equivalent rights and remedies for alleged
Objectives include provisions for strengthening existing fair housing enforcement organizations as well as establishing new ones.
- Fair Housing Assistance Program_State and Local
- Non-Discrimination in Federally-Assisted Programs (On the Basis of Age)
- Employment Opportunities for Lower Income Persons and Businesses
Examples of Funded Projects
The types of projects funded included activities for discovering and providing remedies for fair housing discrimination; conducting investigations of housing discrimination, including systemic discrimination; conducting testing or other
investigative support for administrative and judicial enforcement of
fair housing laws; and linking fair housing organizations regionally in
enforcement activities.
Additional projects funded included activities
for establishing new fair housing enforcement organizations; discovering
and providing remedies for fair housing discrimination; conducting
investigations of housing discrimination; and building the capacity of
existing organizations to provide fair housing enforcement.
Other
projects included activities providing fair housing information to the
public through public service announcements, advertisements, posters and
brochures; providing fair housing counseling services; and developing
fair housing training for educational institutions and members of the
housing industry on fair housing rights and responsibilities.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development's mission is to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing free from discrimination. HUD fulfills this mission through high ethical standards, management and accountability, and by forming partnerships with community organizations.
Program Accomplishments
FHIP funds are used to increase compliance with the Fair Housing Act and with substantially equivalent fair housing laws. HUD has awarded grants to affirmatively further fair housing in the amounts indicated above. Grants were competitively awarded to emphasize enforcement and education and outreach activities based on the protected bases including race, color, religion, sex,
disability, familial status and national origin. For FY 2007
approximately 88 grants were awarded. Enforcement related grants were
given to assist private, tax exempt fair housing enforcement
organizations in the investigation and enforcement of alleged violations
of the Act and substantially equivalent State and local fair housing
laws. Education and outreach grants were given to assist projects that
inform the public about their rights and obligations under the Act and
substantially equivalent State and local fair housing laws. HUD estimates that
88 competive grants will be awarded in Fiscal Year 2008.
Uses and Use Restrictions
Financial assistance is provided for projects to prevent or eliminate discriminatory housing practices.
Eligible projects and activities must be conducted in accordance with procedures contained in 24 CFR Part 125 and in an annual Notice of Funding Availability.
Financial assistance is provided for projects to affirmatively further fair housing conducted by public or private
entities.
However, fair housing enforcement projects, including those
to support the continued development of existing fair housing
organizations and to establish new ones, may only be awarded to fair
housing enforcement organizations under the Fair Housing Act or State or
local laws that provide substantially equivalent rights and remedies for
alleged discriminatory housing practices.
Education and outreach
projects may generally be awarded to a wider variety of organizations
including public or private-for-profit or not-for-profit organizations
or institutions, or other public or private entities that are working to
prevent or eliminate discriminatory housing practices, as well as
faith-based community-based organizations and State or local government
agencies.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
State and local government agencies, public or private nonprofit organizations or institutions and other public or private entities that are formulating or carrying out programs to prevent or eliminate discriminatory housing practices.
Applicants for funding of testing activities must have at least one year of experience in complaint intake, complaint investigation, testing for fair housing violations, and enforcement of meritorious claims.
Applicants for
funding of testing activities must certify that they will not solicit
funds from or seek to provide services or products for compensation to
any person or organization which has been the subject of testing by the
applicant for a 12-month period following a test.
Fair housing
enforcement organizations and nonprofit groups organizing to build their
capacity to provide fair housing enforcement are also eligible
applicants.
Beneficiary Eligibility
Any person or group of persons aggrieved by discriminatory housing practices because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin. Also, any person or group of persons, including landlords and real estate agents, to prevent discriminatory housing practices because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin.
Credentials/Documentation
Costs for State and local government units will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-87. Costs for applicants that are private nonprofit entities will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-122. Costs for applicants that are educational institutions will be determined in accordance with OMB Circular No. A-21. Applicants for enforcement related activities must provide verification of 501(c)(3) status. Applicants for funding of testing activities must certify that they will not solicit funds from or seek to provide services or products for compensation to any person or
organization which has been the subject of testing by the applicant for
a 12-month period following a test. Also, their testing methodology must
be approved by HUD before being implemented.
Aplication and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
Not applicable.
This program is excluded from coverage under E.O.
12372.
Application Procedures
Applications must be submitted in accordance with requirements and forms provided in the Notice of Funding Availability as published in the Federal Register. State and local government applicants must use the standard forms as furnished by the Federal agency and required by OMB Circular No. A-102. Nonprofit entities and institutions of higher education must use standard forms as furnished by the Federal agency and required by OMB Circular No. A-110.
Award Procedures
Applications will be evaluated competitively and awarded points based on the Selection Criteria included in the published Notice of Funding Availability. The final decision rests with the Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity or her/his designee.
Deadlines
Contact the appropriate office identified in the Notices of Funding Availability within the time frames specified in the Notices.
Authorization
Housing and Community Development Act of 1987, Section 561, Public Law 100-242, as amended; Housing and Community Development Act of 1992, Section 905, Public Law 102-550, 101 Stat. 1815.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Two to six months.
Appeals
None.
Renewals
None.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
None.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Funding is in accordance with requirements and forms provided in the Notice of Funding Availability with project periods generally ranging from 12 to 36 months. Assistance provided quarterly or as specified in the grant agreement.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
Quarterly progress reports will be required.
Additionally, State and local governments must submit all reports required pursuant to OMB Circulars A-102 and A-133.
Educational institutions and private nonprofit organizations must submit all reports required pursuant to OMB Circulars A-110 and A-133, and reporting under Form HUD 96010.
Audits
In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 27, 2003), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations," nonfederal entities that expend financial assistance of $500,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $500,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.
Records
None.
Financial Information
Account Identification
86-0144-0-1-751.
Obigations
FY 07 $19,800,000; FY 08 est $24,000,000; and FY 09 est $26,000,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Not applicable.
Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature
24 CFR Part 125, Fair Housing Initiatives Program.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
HUD Field Office Fair Housing Enforcement Center or Program Operations and Compliance Center: Director, Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity in the appropriate HUD Office listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog.
Headquarters Office
Myron Newry, Director, FHIP Division, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street, S.W., Room 5224, Washington, DC 20410. Telephone: (202) 402-7095 E-mail: Myron.P.Newry@hud.gov.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
The selection criteria that will be considered in reviewing applications will be included in the Notices of Funding Availability, as published in the Federal Register.
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