Housing Opportunities Fair Supports Asian American and Pacific Islander Community

Housing Opportunities fair attendees listen in earnest to Fair Housing presentation.

The HUD Atlanta Regional Office staff from the Atlanta Homeownership Center and Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity joined together with the Center for Pan Asian Community Services (CPACS [https://www.icpacs.org/]) recently to conduct a Housing Opportunities Fair for Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in Atlanta in support of the White House Initiative on Asian American and Pacific Islanders (www.whitehouse.gov/aapi).

The intent of the housing opportunities fair was to provide much needed information about home ownership opportunities, home preservation services and also learning more about Fair Housing rights. Over 80 members and families benefitted from the fair and the fair provided ample time for attendees to ask and receive answers to their questions with translation services being provided by CPACS.

Dan Ellis from the Atlanta Homeownership Center provided information about home ownership options and the team from Fair Housing consisting of Renetta Lee, Veronica Batiste and Christian Newsome presented information on the Fair Housing law and answered numerous questions.

"The local AAPI community asked for these services and our staff was more than glad to assist," said Joe Phillips, HUD SE Region Public Affairs Specialist and member of the WHIAAPI SE Regional Interagency Working Group. "The AAPI community benefited from having greater access to the information and services that HUD provides and we look forward to continuing to build on the work started with CPACS and the AAPI communities we both serve."

On October 14, 2009, President Barack Obama signed the Executive Order (www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/executive-order-asian-american-and-pacific-islander-community) re-establishing the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (Initiative). The Initiative, chaired by U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan (www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/aapi/leadership) and led by Executive Director Kiran Ahuja (www.ed.gov/edblogs/aapi/staff/#KiranAhuja), is housed within the U.S. Department of Education. The Initiative works to improve the quality of life and opportunities for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders by facilitating increased access to and participation in federal programs where they remain underserved.

The Initiative works collaboratively with the White House Office of Public Engagement and the designated Federal agencies to increase Asian American and Pacific Islander participation in programs in education, commerce, business, health, human services, housing, environment, arts, agriculture, labor and employment, transportation, justice, veterans affairs and economic and community development.

Center for Pan Asian Community Services, Inc. (CPACS) is a private nonprofit located in Atlanta, Georgia. Their mission is to promote self-sufficiency and equity for immigrants, refugees, and the underprivileged through comprehensive health and social services, capacity building, and advocacy. Founded on the belief that "people need people," CPACS is the first, largest and oldest organization in the Southeast to focus on issues and concerns of Asian Americans, especially women, children and families with low incomes.

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