MOBILE FAIR HOUSING CENTER, INC. AND THE FAIR HOUSING AGENCY OF ALABAMA AWARDED GRANTS OVER $176,000 TO HELP FIGHT HOUSING DISCRIMINATION

BIRMINGHAM, AL - Mobile Fair Housing Center, Inc. and The Fair Housing Agency of Alabama today received grants totaling over $176,000. The grants will fund fair housing enforcement, education and outreach activities in the
Mobile area and southern Alabama. Activities funded by the grants are detailed below. The organizations were selected by The Department of Housing and Urban Development, which awarded 88 grants totaling $17.1 million to recipients in 37 states and the District of Columbia to help fight housing discrimination.

"Last year there were a record 10,328 housing discrimination complaints filed with HUD and its state and local partners," said Kim Kendrick, HUD's Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. "These grants will allow us to continue with efforts to educate the public and the housing industry about their rights and
responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act."

The grants, funded through HUD's Fair Housing Initiatives Program, will be used to investigate allegations of housing discrimination, educate the public and the housing industry about their rights and responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act, and work to promote equal housing opportunities.

This year's grants were awarded under one of two initiatives:

• Private Enforcement Initiative grants (PEI) - HUD awarded $14 million to help groups investigate alleged housing discrimination, and enforce the Fair Housing Act and state and local laws that are substantially equivalent to the Act.
• Education and Outreach Initiative grants (EOI) - HUD awarded $3.1 million to groups that educate the public and housing providers about their rights and obligations under federal, state, and local fair housing laws.

FHEO and its partners in the Fair Housing Assistance Program investigate approximately 10,000 housing
discrimination complaints annually. People who believe they are the victims of housing discrimination should contact HUD at (800) 669-9777 (voice), (800) 927-9275 (TTY).

NOTE: A list of all the grant recipients is available on the HUD website.

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Mobile Fair Housing Center, Inc.
Private Enforcement Initiative - General Component
Award Amount: $75,660.37

Mobile Fair Housing Center, Inc., (MFHC) will carry out private enforcement activities in counties throughout the Mobile area, including Baldwin, Choctaw, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Monroe, and Washington. Specific activities
will include rental testing in all eight counties, a testing program to address predatory lending, and an accessibility design testing program, the results of which will be shared with building permit offices and city officials. MFHC will
also use the grant to conduct accessibility education training, and provide fair housing education materials to
building code personnel and city and county officials in the Mobile area.

The Fair Housing Agency of Alabama
Education and Outreach Initiative - General Component
Award Amount: $99,905

The Fair Housing Agency of Alabama (FHAA) will conduct fair housing education and outreach activities in Southern Alabama. Included will be investigating lending discrimination complaints, and educating housing providers, local mortgage lenders, and the public about their fair housing rights and responsibilities. FHAA will also work to inform persons with disabilities about their fair housing rights.

For local HUD information, please contact Hollis Wormsby at (205) 731-2617.