HUD AWARDS $17.6 MILLION IN GRANTS TO HELP FIGHT HOUSING DISCRIMINATION
Charlottesville and Newport News Groups Among Winners

WASHINGTON - Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson today awarded $17.6 million in grants
to 106 groups to help them fight housing discrimination.

The Office of Human Affairs in Newport News was awarded $34,769.34 and the Piedmont Housing Alliance in Charlottesville was awarded $70,264.80. Both organizations previously have won Fair Housing grants.

The grants, funded under HUD's Fair Housing Initiatives Program, will go to public and private fair housing groups and state and local agencies across the country. These groups will use the funds to investigate allegations of housing discrimination, educate the housing industry and public about housing discrimination laws, and work to promote fair housing.

"Today's announcement reinforces the Bush Administration's continued commitment to ensuring that communities across America are free of discrimination," said Jackson. "These grants will provide communities with a variety of education initiatives aimed at promoting fair housing."

The grants are allocated as follows:

• Private Enforcement Initiative - About $11.8 million was awarded for 12 to18 month grants of up to
  $220,000 to assist private, tax-exempt fair housing enforcement organizations 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 - About $3.7 million was allocated for one-year grants of up to
  $100,000 to inform and educate the public about the rights and obligations under federal, state and local
  fair housing laws. About $500,000 of the grant money, which went to seven groups, is specifically going to
  programs that have a special focus on the fair housing needs of persons with disabilities, so that housing
  providers, the general public, and persons with disabilities themselves better understand their rights and
  obligations.
  
  
• Fair Housing Organizations Initiative - About $2.1 million was awarded for three-year grants of about
  $1 million for projects that serve rural and immigrant populations in areas where there currently is no
  existing fair housing organization, or are otherwise under-served.

Below is a breakdown of funding to groups in the following locations:

The 106 winners were chosen based on the soundness of approach, the extent of the problem, the capacity and experience of the applicant, demonstration of results, program evaluation, and the leveraging of other resources.

Additionally, some of the grants will address sophisticated and subtle forms of discrimination through paired testing
as well as other investigative tools. HUD gave special emphasis to grant applications that target under-served populations, such as rural residents and immigrants, especially non-English speaking racial and ethnic minorities.

The Fair Housing Act bars housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, family status
and national origin. The Act covers the sale, rental, financing and advertising of almost all housing in the nation.
Fair housing investigations are conducted by HUD investigators, state and city agencies working with HUD, and private fair housing groups that receive HUD funds.

Anyone who believes they have experienced housing discrimination is asked to call HUD's Housing Discrimination Hotline at 1 (800) 669-9777, TDD 1(800) 927-9275. They can also visit HUD's fair housing website at www.hud.gov/fairhousing.

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 and espanol.hud.gov.

DESCRIPTIONS OF GRANTS AWARDED TO VIRGINIA ORGANIZATIONS

Charlottesville
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component
Piedmont Housing Alliance
$70,264.80

The Piedmont Housing Alliance is a regional organization that aims to improving the lives of low- and moderate-
income families, as well as individuals by creating housing and community development opportunities throughout the Thomas Jefferson Planning District in Virginia. The alliance's program is designed to address specific barriers to equal housing opportunity that HUD as identified as priorities. The program will provide holistic local solutions through education on fair housing rights relative to rental, sales, and lending practices in the acquisition of housing. The alliance will conduct training seminars; outreach programs; accessibility education initiatives; and advocacy support services, including referrals, counseling, and follow-up services to those experiencing discrimination.

Newport News
Education and Outreach Initiative/Homeownership Component
Office of Human Affairs
$34,769.34

The Office of Human Affairs (OHA) will conduct education and outreach activities in the Newport News geographic area. The Office will provide monthly first-time homebuyer education seminars; develop and implement a marketing and media awareness plan to promote fair housing and homeownership classes; conduct two local fair housing
forums; and provide education seminars on fair housing to the public, apartment managers, landlords, mortgagers
and other lenders, and large employers in the region. OHA's main goal is to improve homeownership and rental opportunities for low- and moderate-income families in Newport News, giving special attention to the underserved area of District 1.

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