|
Pat Hoban-Moore (404) 331-5001 ext. 2776 |
For Release Friday January 18, 2008 |
FLORIDA FAIR HOUSING GROUPS AWARDED HUD GRANTS TO HELP FIGHT HOUSING DISCRIMINATION
JACKSONVILLE, FL - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today presented more than
$1.1 million to five anti-discrimination organizations to conduct fair housing education and outreach in Florida. James Sutton, HUD's Atlanta-based Regional Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Director, was joined by Buz Ausley, HUD Orlando Field Office Director in making the grant presentations to: the Fair Housing Continuum, Inc. of Cocoa, FL; Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc. of Jacksonville; the Housing Opportunities Project for Excellence, Inc. of Miami Gardens, FL; Legal Services of North Florida, Inc. of Tallahassee, FL and Bay Area Legal Services, Inc. of Tampa,
who was awarded a grant but unable to attend the announcement ceremony (see attached).
HUD nationally awarded 88 grants totaling $17.1 million awarded to recipients in 37 states and the District of
Columbia to help fight housing discrimination. In addition, HUD awarded $1 million to New America Media, a division of Pacific News Service, to develop the Department's first coordinated national media campaign to educate the public about discriminatory lending.
"Last year there were a record 10,328 housing discrimination complaints filed with HUD and its state and local partners," said James Sutton, HUD Regional Director 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 presented today are funded through HUD's Fair Housing Initiatives Program, and 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). Stay on top of the most up-to-date news regarding the Fair Housing Act
by signing up for the FHEO RSS Feed. A list of all the grant recipients is available on the HUD website.
For more information, please contact Elaine Spencer, HUD Operations Specialist at (904) 232-2627.
###
Summary of the Fair Housing Initiative Grants in Florida
Cocoa
Fair Housing Continuum, Inc.
Private Enforcement Initiative - Performance Based Component
Award Amount: $275,000
Fair Housing Continuum, Inc., (FHC) will provide fair housing enforcement services, including complaint intake and investigation, recruitment and training of testers, paired-testing of housing providers, and inspections of newly-constructed condominiums and apartments for compliance with the design and construction requirements of the Fair Housing Act.
Jacksonville
Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc.
Private Enforcement Initiative - Performance Based Component
Award Amount: $274,972.67
Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc., (JALA) will provide enforcement and advocacy services throughout six Northeast Florida counties. As part of its enforcement activities, JALA will provide complaint intake, investigation, mediation
and litigation services, recruit and train testers, and conduct paired and single tests of housing providers. JALA will also reach out to racial and ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, persons with Limited English Proficiency, and persons with HIV/AIDS to educate them about their fair housing rights.
Miami Garden
Housing Opportunities Project for Excellence, Inc.
Private Enforcement Initiative - General Component
Award Amount: $275,000
Housing Opportunities Project for Excellence, Inc., (HOPE) will conduct a range of fair housing enforcement activities throughout Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Specific activities, which will be conducted in Spanish and Creole in
an effort to reach immigrant and non-English speaking residents, will include carrying out and evaluating 130 fair housing tests and other investigative actions, processing more than 150 fair housing complaints, recruiting and training 35 testers, and conducting an array of Fair Housing Month activities.
Tallahassee
Legal Services of North Florida, Inc.
Education and Outreach Initiative - General Component
Award Amount: $100,000
Legal Services of North Florida, Inc., (LSNF) will carry out a variety of education and outreach activities in seven North Florida rural counties: Holmes, Santa Rosa, Walton, Washington, Bay, Escambia, and Okaloosa. Specific activities will include conducting seminars to educate the public and housing providers about their fair housing rights and responsibilities, and increasing its network of churches, advocacy groups, and social service agencies to reach specific ethnic and racial groups. LSNF will coordinate its activities with the Escambia Pensacola Human Relations Commission and collaborate with other community-based organizations to help publicize their efforts.
Tampa
Bay Area Legal Services, Inc.
Private Enforcement Initiative - Performance Based Component
Award Amount: $234,973.33
Bay Area Legal Services, Inc., (BALS) will work in partnership with the West Central Florida Agency on Aging,
Beth-El Farm worker Ministry, the county Homeless Coalition, St. John's Progressive Missionary Baptist Church, and the Florida Bar Association to increase enforcement of the Fair Housing Act and compliance with the nation's fair housing laws. As part of their grant, BALS, which operates in Hillsborough County and the city of Tampa, will investigate approximately 40 fair housing cases per year, particularly cases involving minorities, persons with disabilities, and persons with limited English proficiency. BALS will also recruit and train 15 new testers, conduct a minimum of 84 tests per year, and distribute fair housing materials to at least 35 groups annually.
![[logo: Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity]](/images/fheo50.gif){kind=small}
