Tom Friesen (406) 449-5050 |
For Release Friday October 20, 2006 |
CITY OF BILLINGS AWARDED $99,987 GRANT TO HELP FIGHT HOUSING DISCRIMINATION
WASHINGTON - The City of Billings today received a grant of $99,987. The grant will educate the public and
housing providers about their rights and obligations under federal, state, and local fair housing laws. The City of Billings was selected by The Department of Housing and Urban Development, which awarded $18.1 million in grants
to 102 groups in 85 cities throughout the nation to help reduce housing discrimination.
The grants, funded through HUD's Fair Housing Initiatives Program, will be used to investigate allegations of housing discrimination, educate the public and housing industry about their rights and responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act, and work to promote equal housing opportunities.
"These grants will help us continue our efforts to educate the public and housing industry about their rights and responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act," said Kim Kendrick, HUD's Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. "No one should be denied the opportunity to live where they want because of how they look, or the religion they practice, or because they have a disability."
Grants were awarded under one of two initiatives:
- Private Enforcement Initiative grants (PEI) - HUD awarded $13.9 million to assist groups in the
investigation and enforcement of alleged violations of the Fair Housing Act and substantially equivalent
state and local fair housing laws.
- Education and Outreach Initiative grants (EOI) - HUD awarded $4.2 million to groups that educate
the public and housing providers about their rights and obligations under federal, state, and local fair
housing laws.
The City of Billings was awarded an Education and Outreach Initiative grant of $99,987 that the City of Billings and
47 other organizations have committed to working together to address housing discrimination in the greater Billings area. The collaborative effort will focus on informing the American Indian population of their fair housing rights and educating builders, architects, and others on fair housing accessibility requirements and universal design.
HUD received applications from 268 groups seeking grants, a 7% increase over fiscal year 2005, out of that group, 102 winners were chosen based on a number of criteria, which included the demonstration of results and program evaluation. Grants were awarded to fair housing organizations in the following states:
Alabama - $923,876 |
Montana - $99,987 |
Arizona - $270,144 |
Nebraska - $372,277 |
Arkansas- $34,088 |
Nevada - $203,629 |
California - $2,350,947 |
New Jersey - $375,000 |
Colorado - $100,000 |
New Mexico - $149,721 |
District of Columbia - $149,080 |
New York - $986,896 |
Delaware - $50,000 |
North Carolina - $88,022 |
Florida - $1,024,972 |
North Dakota - $214,769 |
Georgia - $94,950 |
Ohio - $1,293,905 |
Hawaii - $275,000 |
Okalahoma - $274,766 |
Idaho - $80,961 |
Oregon - $368,678 |
Illinois - $1,736,402 |
Pennsylvania - $1,021,352 |
Kansas - $99,926 |
Rhode Island - $100,000 |
Kentucky - $205,258 |
South Carolina - $99,992 |
Louisiana - $475,000 |
Tennessee - $275,000 |
Maryland - $99,716 |
Texas - $1,017,855 |
Massachusetts - $647,210 |
Utah - $77,310 |
Michigan - $480,326 |
Virginia- $60,415 |
Minnesota - $99,937 |
Vermont - $100,000 |
Missouri - $100,000 |
Washington - $650,000 |
Mississippi - $597,634 |
Wisconsin - $374,996 |
FHEO and its partners in the Fair Housing Assistance Program investigate approximately 9,000 housing discrimination complaints annually. People who believe they are the victims of housing discrimination should contact HUD at (800) 669-9777 (voice), (800) 927-9275 (TTY). Additional information is available at www.hud.gov/fairhousing. Stay on
top of the most up-to-date news regarding the Fair Housing Act by signing up for the FHEO RSS Feed.
NOTE: A list of all grant recipients is available on the HUD website.
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