![]() |
Home | En Español | Contact Us | A to Z |
![]() |
![]() |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() |
Congressional Justifications for 1998 Budget EstimatesBudget Activity 6: Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity |
|
Actual 1996 |
Estimate 1997 |
Estimate 1998 |
---|---|---|---|
Fair Housing Claims/Complaints | |||
Received |
10,945
|
12,000
|
13,200
|
Processed | 6,233 | 7,500 | 8,475 |
Title VI |
143
|
175
|
200
|
Section 109 |
103
|
125
|
150
|
Section 504 |
218
|
250
|
275
|
Americans with Disabilities Act |
107
|
150
|
175
|
Compliance Reviews Initiated: |
|
|
|
Title VI | 51 | 100 a/ | 120 a/ |
Section 109 | 6 | 30 | 40 |
Section 504 | 121 b/ | 150 | 200 |
Americans with Disabilities Act | 10 c/ | 40 c/ | 125 c/ |
Economic Opportunity | |||
Section 3 Complaints closed | 27 | 37 | 45 |
Program Monitoring/Technical Assistance | |||
CDP Programs: | |||
Consolidated Plans/Fair Housing Planning | 1,003 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
Public Housing Authorities Monitoring/Technical Assistance | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
Immediate Office of the Assistant Secretary. The Assistant Secretary is responsible for fair housing and civil rights policy, enforcement of the fair housing and equal opportunity laws within HUD's jurisdiction, and management of the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. The Assistant Secretary supervises the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations and Management, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Investigations and the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Program Operations and Compliance, as well as the Beaumont Fair Housing Office and an immediate staff of seven.
Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Investigations. The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Enforcement and Investigations has the responsibility of making recommendations or decisions as appropriate on enforcement matters arising under: the Federal Fair Housing Act; Executive Order 11063; and the Age Discrimination Act of 1975. It manages the Fair Housing Assistance Program and makes recommendations or decisions as appropriate on all matters related to the investigation of complaints. In addition, it is responsible for administering the award and management of Fair Housing Initiatives Program grants and negotiating and implementing voluntary fair housing compliance programs.
Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations and Management. The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations and Management has responsibility for the development, direction, and supervision of the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity's operations and management functions. This responsibility includes: (a) utilization of resources to achieve equal opportunity goals; (b) personnel and training; (c) staff allocation; (d) performance of technical and management evaluations of Headquarters and Field components; and (e) budget formulation, justification and execution; and (g) contract administration. The Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary includes the Office of Management and Field Coordination and the Office of Management Information Services.
Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Program Operations and Compliance. The Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Program Operations and Compliance is responsible for the development and application of civil rights related program requirements to ensure that HUD programs embody fair housing and equal opportunity objectives; making recommendations or decisions as appropriate on enforcement matters arising under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Section 109 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Section 3 of the Housing and Urban development Act of 1968; and the Americans with Disabilities Act. This office includes the management and operation of the Office of Program Operations and Standards and the Office of Program Compliance and Disability Rights; as well as Field operations and Headquarters-Field relationships relating to Program Operations and Compliance Centers.
In addition, this Office participates in the negotiation and monitoring of civil rights consent decrees and settlement agreements; provides oversight to Section 3 and assists resolution of Section 3 complaints; coordinates research programs and evaluation mechanisms with the Office of Policy Development and Research; provides evaluation assistance to FHEO programs; conducts FHEO evaluations of HUD programs; implements activities to strengthen civil rights data collection and reporting throughout the Department and within FHEO, and provides feedback to management on necessary improvements and/or changes to programs; and prepares the annual reports to Congress on the state of fair housing and on racial and ethnic participation in HUD programs and supervises 38 Program Operation and Compliance Centers (POCC).
This Office provides technical assistance to Field Offices,
supervises and evaluates Field performance, and organizes
and participates in the training of Field staff. Also, the
Office provides recommendations to the Assistant Secretary
through the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Program Operations
and Compliance on policy issues and program implementation
to enhance field performance.
Office of Policy and Regulatory Initiatives. This Office develops fair housing policy and is responsible for regulatory initiatives implementing those policies. Examples include testing and self-testing, mortgage lending and property insurance discrimination and methods of proving discrimination. The Office is also responsible for negotiating memoranda of understanding with other Federal Departments and Agencies to implement the Fair Housing Act, representation of the Department on the Interagency Task Force on Fair Lending and staffs the activities of the President's Fair Housing Council. In addition, it prepares and staffs administrative hearings to take public testimony on fair housing enforcement and compliance issues and proposed policies.
There are 10 Fair Housing Enforcement Centers throughout the country which accept, refer and investigate complaints under Title VI, the Fair Housing Act, Section 3, Section 109, Section 504, the Age Discrimination Act, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The offices investigate, conciliate and prepare determinations of Title VIII complaints.
There are 10 large and 27 small Program Operations and Compliance Centers. Program Operation and Compliance Centers (POCC) ensure that recipients of HUD programs comply with program requirements related to civil rights and economic opportunity. POCCs are responsible for monitoring, providing technical assistance, reviewing applications and ensuring that customers and organizations are involved and included in the development of local initiatives that enhance fair housing and civil rights. The oversight responsibility of POCCs include approximately 3,200 public housing authorities, 1,000 entitlement communities, and 10,000 units of assisted housing.
The principal workload for Field staff consists of complaint processing and investigation, compliance reviews, monitoring, application reviews, technical assistance and the support of voluntary compliance efforts. Such activities are undertaken as they relate to the enforcement of fair housing laws and the delivery of the Department's Housing and Community Planning and Development programs, as well as to activities in the private sector and other government units.
Travel
|
Actual 1996 |
Budget Estimate 1997 |
Current Estimate 1997 |
Estimate 1998 |
Increase
+ Decrease - 1998 vs 1997 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
(Dollars
in Thousands)
|
|||||
Headquarters...
|
$455 | $608 | $496 | $496 | ... |
Field . . .
|
620 | 913 | 743 | 743 | ... |
Total . . .
|
1,075 | 1,521 | 1,239 | 1,239 | ... |
The 1997 Budget for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) proposes a total funding level of $1,239 thousand for Headquarters and Field travel. Of this total, $496 thousand will support Headquarters travel and $743 thousand will support Field travel. The $1,239 thousand proposed for fiscal year 1998 represents no increase over the 1997 current estimate.
Contracts
The following table identifies the specific contracts required and is followed by a description of each.
|
Actual 1996 |
Budget Estimate 1997 |
Current Estimate 1997 |
Estimate 1998 |
Increase
+ Decrease - 1998 vs 1997 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
(Dollars
in Thousands)
|
|||||
Data and Statistical Services. .
|
... | $401 | ... | ... | ... |
Public Information Services. .
|
$514 | 905 | $868 | $868 | ... |
Technical Services . . .
|
561 | 780 | 686 | 686 | ... |
Total . . .
|
1,075 | 2,086 | 1,554 | 1,554 | ... |
Public Information Services. The Department plans to continue efforts to develop and disseminate information on fair housing issues to the public. These services will be expanded to accommodate the submission of Fair Housing Initiatives Program work products and the increase in user requests based on greater familiarity with the services provided.
Technical Services. The Department will enter into contracts to provide the support needed to address in-house complaint investigations, provide technical expertise on more complex issues and expand services by reinforcing ways in which supervisors can ensure that investigations meet a very high standard of quality by addressing both the substantive content and the efficiency and timeliness of investigations and compliance reviews. In addition, FHEO will continue its contract for testing which is used as an investigative tool and continue funding a contract for technical assistance needed in the preparation of the annual report to Congress on the nature and extent of progress in eliminating discriminatory housing practices in the Nation. The amount requested also includes an interagency agreement with the Department of Labor to negotiate indirect costs and provide training for FHIP grantees, HUD personnel and management contractors.