HUD COMMENDS WORK OF NATIONAL FAIR HOUSING ALLIANCE

NFHA is a consortium of private, non-profit fair housing organizations across the country whose activities, which include investigating and processing fair housing complaints, testing for violations of the Fair Housing Act, and enforcing meritorious claims, are financed in part through HUD Fair Housing Inititives Program (FHIP) grants.

Cuomo specifically praised NFHA for its success in documenting and responding to cases of housing discrimination, and for focusing attention on individuals who have been denied the housing of their choice.

"I commend the National Fair Housing Alliance for bringing to Washington today a few of the actual victims of housing discrimination," said Cuomo. "Their stories and their struggles remind us of the human faces behind the statistics. Stamping out housing discrimination is a serious concern for all Americans, and a priority of this Administration."

"Government alone cannot solve the problem of illegal housing discrimination. It takes all of us working together -- public and private groups, government and community advocates, national and local organizations -- to deliver on America's promise of fair housing."

Susan Forward, HUD deputy assistant secretary for Enforcement and Investigations, stressed the importance of NFHA's testing for and documenting illegal discrimination.

"Testing provides us with an objective measure of whether or not an entity is truly behaving in a discriminatory manner," Forward said. "It is an invaluable tool in helping us substantiate discriminatory practices, which can be subtle and difficult to prove."

Forward also recognized the effectiveness of several radio and print advertisements produced by NFHA under its HUD grant. "While HUD is committed to aggressively enforcing the fair housing laws, we can't underestimate the role of education in preventing discrimination before it occurs, and in informing persons of their fair housing rights."

FHIP was authorized by Congress in 1987 through the Housing and Community Development Act. Its primary goal is to assist private fair housing organizations to support enforcement of the Fair Housing Act and inform the public and the housing industry of their fair housing rights and responsibilities.