HUD No. GFO-12-06 Curtis Davis, Field Office Director (336) 851-8064 |
For
Release Thursday May 10, 2012 |
HUD AWARDS $325,000 IN GRANTS TO COMBAT HOUSING DISCRIMINATION IN NORTH CAROLINA
GREENSBORO - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded $325,000 to a fair housing organization to assist people in North Carolina who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination. The award summary for Legal Aid of North Carolina is presented below.
The Fair Housing Project of Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC), the only Fair Housing Enforcement Organization (FHO) agency in the State of North Carolina, will use its grant to provide a full-service fair housing project to residents throughout the state. Specifically, the organization will provide complaint intake and referral services, assisting individuals with fair housing matters and making referrals to HUD, local FHAP agencies, and state and federal courts; conduct fair housing testing, conduct education and outreach training events and one continuing legal education program; convene a Fair Housing Working Group including FHAP agencies and local advocates around the state; and distribute literature in English and Spanish.
"These federal grants are essential to ending housing discrimination through a unique federal grant support to private fair housing education and enforcement," said HUD Southeast Regional Administrator Ed Jennings, Jr. "We are laser focused on attacking and ending housing discrimination."
The competitive grants are funded through HUD’s Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP), and are part of nearly $41.18 million distributed nationwide to 99 fair housing organizations and other non-profit agencies in 35 states and the District of Columbia. The grants will be used to enforce the Fair Housing Act through investigation and testing of alleged discriminatory practices, and to educate housing providers, local governments and potential victims of housing discrimination about their rights and responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act. HUD had over $70 million in requests for FHIP, but funded only $41 million.
HUD is awarding a FHIP grant to the following agency in North Carolina:
North Carolina | Legal Aid of North Carolina, Inc. | Raleigh | $325,000 |
FHEO and its partners in the Fair Housing Assistance Program investigate more than 9,300 housing discrimination complaints annually. People who believe they are the victims of housing discrimination should contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777 (voice), or (800) 927-9275 (TTY).
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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 @HUDnews, on facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD's News Listserv.