HUD AWARDS $325,000 TO LEGAL AID OF NORTH CAROLINA TO COMBAT HOUSING DISCRIMINATION

GREENSBORO - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded $325,000 to Legal Aid of North Carolina to assist people in North Carolina who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination.

The Fair Housing Project of Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) is the only Fair Housing Enforcement Organization agency in North Carolina that provides comprehensive fair housing services to residents in all protected classes and markets across the State. LANC will use its grant to provide housing discrimination complaint intake and referral services; and carry out rental, lending, insurance, sales, and single design and construction/accessibility tests. The organization will conduct education and outreach training on design and construction accessibility requirements and hold a conference focusing on fair housing and sustainability issues. LANC will also continue to convene a Fair Housing Working Group of state and local government agencies in the Fair Housing Assistance Program and local advocates from around the state, and distribute fair housing literature in English and Spanish.

"Our local partners are essential to ending housing discrimination," said HUD Southeast Regional Administrator Ed Jennings, Jr. "This grant will enable Legal Aid of North Carolina to help HUD enforce fair housing laws, and make people more aware of their rights."

The grant announced today is funded through HUD's Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) and will be used to investigate allegations of housing discrimination, educate the public and the housing industry about their rights and responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act, and work to promote equal housing opportunities.

The category of the grant awarded today is the Fair Housing Organizations Initiative. HUD recently awarded $1.2 million in this category to groups in Indiana, North Carolina, Texas and West Virginia that serve rural and immigrant populations in areas where there currently is no existing fair housing organization, or are otherwise underserved.

People who believe they are the victims of housing discrimination should contact HUD at (800) 669-9777 (voice), (800) 927-9275 (TTY). Housing discrimination complaints may also be filed by going to www.hud.gov/fairhousing, or by downloading HUD's free housing discrimination mobile application, which can be accessed through Apple devices, such as the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.

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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 @HUDnews, on facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD's News Listserv.