| HUD Region V No. 12-012 Laura J. Feldman (312) 913-8332 Follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/#!/HUDMidwest) |
For Release Thursday February 9, 2012 |
HUD AWARDS $185,000 TO FIGHT HOUSING DISCRIMINATION IN DETROIT
CHICAGO - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today that it has awarded $185,000 to Michigan agencies to enforce fair housing laws and help communities and housing providers to better understand their fair housing rights and responsibilities. The funds, part of more than $7.5 million distributed nationwide today, will also be used to promote the Department's new Equal Access to Housing regulation, which ensures that HUD housing and programs are open to all families, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status.
"Today's announcement demonstrates the Obama Administration's commitment to ending housing discrimination, no matter what form it takes," said John Trasviña, HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. "With these funds, state and local government agencies on the front line of the fight will be able to continue their efforts to take on today's many fair housing challenges."
"These grants will help Michigan agencies conduct fair housing education, outreach activities and training to help protect the rights and affirm the values of a diverse and inclusive society," said Antonio R. Riley, HUD's Midwest Regional Administrator.
The Michigan Grants are as follows:
| FHAP Agency | Partner | Amount |
|
| Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) | Michigan Alliance Against Hate Crimes | $20,000 |
MDCR will partner with the Michigan Alliance Against Hate Crimes to expand MIAAHC to expand its community response system trainings in twelve select cities currently engaged in creating Community Response Systems by formulating a community-engagement project that brings in a wider audience of partners. The community response systems to be developed will help teach communities how to respond hate crimes, including hate crimes within the fair housing context. |
| Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) | Michigan Alliance Against Hate Crimes | $20,000 |
MDCR will partner with the Michigan Alliance Against Hate Crimes to expand the MIAAHC's trainings and presentations capacity to community and stakeholder groups. Specifically, MIAAHC will make available for fair housing staff, realtor groups, landlord association, and other designated housing partners a revised and modified "Hate Crime 101" training with an emphasis of fair housing issues, as well as engage fair housing partners in train-the-trainer programming to increase training capacity statewide. Additionally, MIAAHC will host Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Training at select regional sites across Michigan to engage and educate law enforcement officers regarding hate and bias crime and their role in creating livable communities that assure fair housing opportunities for all. |
| Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) | Michigan Alliance Against Hate Crimes | $25,000 |
MDRC will partner with the Michigan Alliance Against Hate Crimes to hold a conference entitled "Michigan Response to Hate." The conference will offer participants the opportunity to address and expand their knowledge of hate crimes issues within the context of fair housing. |
| Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) | member organizations of the Michigan Leadership Collaborative for Civil & Human Rights | $20,000 |
MDRC will partner with the member organizations of the Michigan Leadership Collaborative for Civil & Human Rights to educate and train advocacy organizations and agencies in the area of fair housing at a fair housing conference. Topics at the conference will provide member organizations with assistance to non-traditional fair housing organizations to become familiar with a cross section of fair housing issues so that they will be able to detect and refer fair housing complaints to appropriate enforcement agencies. |
| Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) | Michigan Interagency Migrant Services Committee | $50,000 |
MDRC will partner with the Interagency Migrant Services Committee to perform an updated count of migrant and seasonal farm workers in the State of Michigan. This information is needed by non-profit organizations and government agencies who work with this target group to assess housing needs of this population. This study will help MDR C better help this population, as housing discrimination among farm workers, who tend to belong to minority groups, has been a long concern of the MDRC and other local groups that investigate fair housing complaints. |
| Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) | Individual to be hired | $25,000 |
MDCR will partner with an individual to be hired to assist the department in reducing the department's backlog of dually filed fair housing cases. The assistance of the part-time contract employee to be hired will provide with the requisite fair housing background to analyze cases to ascertain whether or not additional information is needed to complete an aged case. |
| Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) | Individuals and organizations in need of fair housing training | $25,000 |
MDCR will partner with individuals and organizations in need of fair housing training to educate them about fair housing issues. This fair housing training is to educate property management companies, landlords, mortgage lenders and brokers, realtors, developers, advertisers, rental agents, and rental property owners as well as other agencies of their rights and responsibilities under fair housing law. The primary areas to be highlighted in the trainings include advertising cases, disability accessibility, bullying in senior/disabled complexes, service and companion animal cases, and mortgages and foreclosures. |
In awarding the funds, which are provided through HUD's Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP), HUD is responding to requests and suggestions from state and local government agencies that are seeking to partner with organizations that will assist in fair housing enforcement and outreach. The funds will help local communities learn more about their fair housing rights and housing providers meet their fair housing obligations, including those related to HUD's new Equal Access to Housing regulation.
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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 News Listserv.
Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP) Funding
The following agencies have received funding:
| Michigan | ||
| Name of Agency | City | Amount |
| Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) | Detroit | $20,000 |
| Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) | Detroit | $20,000 |
| Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) | Detroit | $25,000 |
| Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) | Detroit | $20,000 |
| Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) | Detroit | $50,000 |
| Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) | Detroit | $25,000 |
| Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) | Detroit | $25,000 |
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