HUD No. 04-001 Cassandra Terry (601) 965-4700 ext. 2110 |
For
Release Monday January 12, 2004 |
BUSH ADMINISTRATION AWARDS $17.6 MILLION IN FAIR HOUSING
GRANTS TO CONTINUE FIGHT AGAINST HOUSING BIAS
Mississippi receives $379,812
WASHINGTON - The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today it has awarded $17.6 million in grants to fair housing groups in 39 states and the District of Columbia as part of the Bush Administration's efforts to curb housing discrimination.
"Today's announcement is another step toward ensuring that Americans have equal access to safe and affordable housing," said HUD Acting Secretary Alphonso Jackson. "We will not allow discrimination to stop families across this nation from living in any home, apartment or neighborhood they can afford."
The
grants were awarded today by HUD's Fair Housing Initiatives Program to groups
that will use the funds to investigate allegations of housing discrimination,
educate the public and housing industry about housing
discrimination laws, and
work to promote fair housing.
Three types of grants were awarded to groups in 96 cities:
Private Enforcement Initiative grants - About $10.2
million was awarded to assist private, tax-exempt fair housing enforcement organizations
in the investigation and enforcement of alleged violations of the Fair Housing
Act and
State and local fair housing laws.
Education and Outreach Initiative
grants - About $5.3 million was allocated to groups to educate the public
about
the rights and obligations under federal, state and local fair housing laws.
Nearly $800,000 went to ten groups that focus on the needs of persons with disabilities.
Fair Housing Organizations Initiative grants - About $2.1 million was awarded for projects that serve rural and immigrant populations in underserved areas or where there currently is no existing fair housing organization.
In
2002, HUD released a study titled Discrimination in Metropolitan Housing Markets:
Phase I, which documented
that despite a decline during the last decade, housing
discrimination still exists at unacceptable levels. Last year, HUD, in partnership
with The Advertising Council and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education
Fund, recently released an award-winning, edgy multimedia campaign designed to
fight housing discrimination by showing the many faces of those persons protected
by the nation's 35-year-old Fair Housing Act.
HUD received applications
from 215 groups seeking grants for the fiscal year 2003 assistance. Grants were
awarded
to 121 projects in the following locations:
Alabama Arkansas Arizona California Colorado Connecticut District of Columbia Delaware Florida Georgia Iowa Idaho Illinois Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Massachusetts Maryland Michigan |
$685,405 $140,055 $507,453 $1,880,232 $80,000 $203,252 $466,142 $204,004 $1,591,754 $79,999 $79,632 $286,471 $1,341,843 $79,896 $132,581 $384,484 $80,000 $538,048 $77,712 $161,438 |
Minnesota Missouri Mississippi North Carolina Nebraska New Jersey New Mexico Nevada New York Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia Vermont Washington Wisconsin |
$365,729 $306,489 $379,812 $80,000 $265,114 $466,156 $179,840 $80,000 $1,277,993 $1,318,804 $69,974 $286,198 $1,753,994 $80,000 $366,489 $779,720 $130,126 $145,028 $80,000 $206,489 |
Individual project summaries by city and state are on the Internet.
Since the program's inception in 1989, nearly $226 million has been awarded to some 1,070 organizations. Twenty eight organizations selected for this year's awards are first-time applicants.
HUD is the nation's housing agency committed to increasing homeownership, particularly among minorities; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development as well as enforces the nation's fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet.
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