HUD AWARDS $100,000 TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO HUD PROGRAMS BY FAMILIES WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY IN SLAYTON, MINNESOTA

CHICAGO - Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $100,000 to Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership in Slayton, Minn. 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."

"This funding will ensure that residents of Southwest Minnesota will have equal access to HUD's programs," said Antonio R. Riley, HUD's Midwest Regional Administrator. "Language should never be a barrier to a safe and decent home environment."

Grant summary: The Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership (SWMHP) is an organization dedicated to meeting the economic, social, and housing needs for the growing numbers of immigrants in Southwest Minnesota. SWMHP has demonstrated extensive experience working with limited English proficient community in their native languages of Somali, Sudanese, Hmong, Burmese, Karen (Burma), Eritrean (Ethiopian), Lao, Vietnamese, and Spanish. SWMHP plans to use Limited English Proficiency Initiative funding to facilitate education about local/regional HUD programs through the development of brochures on HUD programs and eligibility requirements; developing and disseminating marketing materials and applications in languages that meet the needs of the targeted LEP communities; and compiling and distributing Q&As regarding how to access various HUD programs and services in the target areas.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 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 News Listserv.