HUD AWARDS MORE THAN $324,000 TO CENTRAL INDIANA TO FIGHT HOUSING DISCRIMINATION

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded a $324,709 grant to the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana, in an effort to reduce housing discrimination. This funding is part of $38.3 million HUD awarded today to 95 fair housing organizations and other non-profit agencies in 38 states.

Funded through HUD's Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP), these grants will help enforce the Fair Housing Act through investigation and testing of alleged discriminatory practices. In addition, the funds will educate housing providers, local governments and potential victims of housing discrimination about their rights and responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act.

"Ending housing discrimination requires that we support the law of the land and protect the housing rights of individuals and families who would be denied those rights," stated HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "Ensuring and promoting Fair Housing practices lies at the core of HUD's mission and these grants enable community groups all over the nation to help families who are denied equal access to housing."

"No one should be denied the opportunity to live where they want because of how they look, their faith, whether they have children or because they have a disability. These grants will help us continue our efforts to educate the public and housing industry about their housing rights and responsibilities," said Antonio R. Riley, HUD's Midwest Regional Administrator.

See below for further information on the grant and how the funds will be used.

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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 @HUDgov or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD's Email List.

Indianapolis
Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana, Inc.
Fair Housing Organization Initiative -
Continued Development General Component - $324,709

The Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana (FHCCI) will use its grant to assist the 1.8 million residents of the 11 counties of Central Indiana (Boone, Clinton, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Madison, Marion, Morgan, Rush, and Shelby). Specifically, the grant project will: 1) increase ability to affirmatively further fair housing, 2) expand the public's knowledge of the services of the FHCCI to uncover allegations of housing discrimination, 3) build the capacity to conduct all forms of testing and enhance other investigation tools to effectively address identified unlawful discrimination, 4) support additional public training programs on fair housing and diversify the types of programs, 5) increase distribution of publications and support partnerships to translate FHCCI publications into Burmese, and 6) expand capacity under current projects related to the investigation of systemic predatory lending allegations and other systemic investigations. The FHCCI is the only fair housing organization in Indiana. The organization will investigate and provide remedies for acts of discrimination in housing transactions in Central Indiana; and increase access to fair housing education for members of protected classes, specifically those with disabilities, of limited English proficiency or in underserved areas.