| HUD No. 12-06 Adam Glantz (212) 264-1100 |
For
Release Thursday February 9, 2012 |
HUD AWARDS NEARLY $600,000 TO NEW YORK STATE TO FIGHT HOUSING DISCRIMINATION
NEW YORK - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today that it has awarded the Rockland County Commission on Human Rights, the Geneva Human Rights Commission, and the NYS Division of Human Rights a total of $588,500 to enforce fair housing laws and help communities and housing providers to better understand their fair housing rights and responsibilities. The funds, part of more than $7.5 million distributed nationwide today, will also be used to promote the Department's new Equal Access to Housing regulation, which ensures that HUD housing and programs are open to all families, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status.
"Today's announcement demonstrates the Obama Administration's commitment to ending housing discrimination, no matter what form it takes," said John Trasviña, HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. "With these funds, state and local government agencies on the front line of the fight will be able to continue their efforts to take on today's many fair housing challenges."
| FHAP Agency | Partner | Amount |
Summary of Project |
| Rockland County Commission on Human Rights (RCCHR) | Helping Hands, Woman Veterans Association of Hudson Valley, County of Rockland Veterans Service Agency | $75,000 |
RCCHR will partner with Helping Hands, Woman Veterans Association of Hudson Valley, and the County of Rockland Veterans Service Agency to conduct fair housing testing based on race, disability, and religion, and to conduct fair housing education and outreach to Rockland County's veterans, homeless and otherwise. Over four percent of Rockland County's population is comprised of veterans, and 75 percent of this veteran population fails to seek help from the Veterans Administration and related agencies. This population also lacks fair housing knowledge. With partnership funds, RCCHR will conduct outreach to this population to teach the veteran population about various fair housing topics, including predatory lending, and will hold trainings with landlords to educate them about fair housing issues and concerns regarding the denial of housing to disabled veterans. |
| Geneva Human Rights Commission (GHRC) | Hobart and William Smith Colleges | $65,500 |
GHRC will partner with Hobart and William Smith Colleges to foster a greater community understanding of the importance of fair housing choice and to develop fair housing resources for organizations and municipal agencies receiving federal financial assistance that will educate and encourage compliance with AFFH obligations and priorities. |
| New York State Division of Human Rights (NYSDHR) | Individuals to be hired as temporary staff | $448,000 |
NYSDHR will partner with temporary staff to assist in the litigation of over 62 State-Elected (probable cause) fair housing cases in New York State Supreme Court. NYSDHR will also use the funds to hire temporary staff to assist with NYSDHR's HUD financial monitoring of FHAP funding, FHAP segregated funds, and FHAP quarterly reports. |
In awarding the funds, which are provided through HUD's Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP), HUD is responding to requests and suggestions from state and local government agencies that are seeking to partner with organizations that will assist in fair housing enforcement and outreach. The funds will help local communities learn more about their fair housing rights and housing providers meet their fair housing obligations, including those related to HUD's new Equal Access to Housing regulation.
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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 at @HUDnews or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD's News Listserv.
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