HUD AWARDS $50,000 TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO HUD PROGRAMS BY FAMILIES WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY IN HAWAII

SAN FRANCISCO - Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $50,000 to the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii in Honolulu. This award helps support local organizations serving diverse communities across the country that will help ensure persons who are Limited English Proficient (LEP) have access to information in their native languages on HUD housing, programs, services, and activities.

"Partnering with organizations that work directly with limited English proficient persons helps HUD provide more effective and efficient services to people who are limited English proficient," said John Trasviña, HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. "How well people speak English must not determine their access to safe, affordable, and decent housing free from discrimination. Through these partnerships, HUD will ensure that the LEP individuals and families have meaningful access to information on fair housing, homeownership, lead abatement, housing assistance, and countless other services."

In coordination with local HUD grantees, the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii will use the $50,000 to provide services in
a wide variety of areas including fair housing, housing counseling, and homeless outreach services to the people of Hawaii, including limited English proficient (LEP) communities. Legal Aid Society's proposed services to LEP
communities include implementing "train the trainer" methodology by training community coordinators and leaders on language access information and HUD services; conducting 40 monthly trainings and 20 clinics designed to assist in the completion of HUD applications for housing and other HUD-related services; and developing, refining, translating, and distributing 4,000 outreach brochures.

HUD's grant funding will support the following cities and organizations:

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers a Limited English Proficiency website to
promote equal access to housing programs by providing important HUD documents in 12 different languages. HUD's expanded Limited English Proficiency (LEP) website features factsheets, housing brochures and other forms in Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Cambodian, Chinese, Farsi, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, and
Vietnamese in addition to English. The site offers brochures on fair housing, model lease agreements, information about HUD's Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8), and Resident Rights and Responsibilities.

The LEP initiative is in response to Executive Order 13166, which requires all federal, local and state agencies that receive federal funding to ensure that people with limited language skills have meaningful access to government programs and services.

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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on Twitter at @HUDnews or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD. or sign up for news alerts on HUD's
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