HUD AWARDS $99,998 TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO HUD PROGRAMS BY FAMILIES WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY IN ST. LOUIS

ST. LOUIS, MO - Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $99,998 to the International Institute of St. Louis in St. Louis, Missouri. 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 International Institute of St. Louis will develop a Limited English Proficiency project to serve the St. Louis City and the St. Louis County areas with services for eight different limited LEP language groups. The institute will partner with the Urban League and other HUD grantees to offer educational services for sponsored refugees who speak Nepali and Arabic; conduct special community meetings and refugee orientation sessions for Bosnians and Arabic speakers to learn more about affordable housing; conduct outreach at ethnic-specific and multicultural organizations in the St. Louis area where immigrants typically gather through ethnic and language-specific media; and disseminate translated informational materials to targeted clients.

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 and espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on Twitter
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