HUD AWARDS NEARLY $600,000 TO WISCONSIN TO FIGHT HOUSING DISCRIMINATION

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded 2 grants worth $596,302 to Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council in an effort to reduce housing discrimination. This funding is part of $38.3 million HUD awarded today to 95 fair housing organizations and other non-profit agencies in 38 states.

Funded through HUD's Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP), these grants will help enforce the Fair Housing Act through investigation and testing of alleged discriminatory practices. In addition, the funds will educate housing providers, local governments and potential victims of housing discrimination about their rights and responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act.

"Ending housing discrimination requires that we support the law of the land and protect the housing rights of individuals and families who would be denied those rights," stated HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "Ensuring and promoting Fair Housing practices lies at the core of HUD's mission and these grants enable community groups all over the nation to help families who are denied equal access to housing."

"No one should be denied the opportunity to live where they want because of how they look, their faith, whether they have children or because they have a disability. These grants will help us continue our efforts to educate the public and housing industry about their housing rights and responsibilities," said Antonio R. Riley, HUD's Midwest Regional Administrator.

See below for amount of grants and how the funds will be used.

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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.

WISCONSIN

Milwaukee

Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council
FY11 Private Enforcement Initiative -
Multi-Year Component - $322,629

The Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council (MMFHC) will use its grant to conduct statewide enforcement activities to identify and eliminate discriminatory housing practices. Activities will include multi-jurisdictional investigations of discrimination against African Americans and persons with disabilities; intake, investigation and case management of fair housing complaints; partnering with a statewide disability advocacy agency to conduct technical assistance and referral of complaints; partnering with nonprofit organizations to recruit testers; cross-programmatic training for the HUD and other public enforcement agencies referral of complaints to HUD, other administrative agencies and/or attorneys.

Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council
Fair Housing Organization Initiative -
Lending Discrimination - $273,673

The Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council (MMFHC) will use its grant to conduct enforcement activities for the purpose of identifying and eliminating discriminatory housing practices by the lending industry in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington, and Ozaukee counties in Wisconsin. Specifically, MMFHC will: conduct a systemic investigation of racial discrimination in the maintenance and marketing of Real Estate Owned (REO) properties and an Investigate systemic forms of racial discrimination in lending and underwriting practices; refer complaints to HUD, other administrative agencies, and/or attorneys; and conduct community outreach to homeowners, neighborhood associations, city officials, and other stakeholders affected by REO-related lending practices to apprise them of investigation results and combat illegal housing discrimination.