Alabama

Birmingham
Private Enforcement Initiative - Fair Housing Center of Northern Alabama
$219,992

The Fair Housing Center of Northern Alabama (FHCNA) will conduct fair housing enforcement activities in 23 of Alabama's 67 counties, which includes the City of Birmingham, with an emphasis on the disabled and immigrants, particularly African American and Hispanics. Activities comprise paired rental, sales and insurance tests and the design and implementation of enforcement-related education and outreach activities including training for housing providers. Hispanic-owned businesses and advocacy groups that will facilitate outreach to the Hispanic immigrant community will collaborate with FHCNA in utilizing a network of volunteers, local social service agencies, and community and faith-based organizations to carry out this work.

Mobile
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component - Fair Housing Agency of Alabama
$79,924

The Fair Housing Agency of Alabama will strengthen its efforts to promote awareness of fair housing laws in the Mobile area. The agency's program aims to increase housing opportunities, eliminate housing barriers, assist community residents in achieving equal access to housing of their choice, and ensure that housing providers and mortgage lenders are aware of and practice their obligations to affirmatively further fair housing. To meet these goals, the agency will conduct workshops and training seminars for housing consumers and professionals to make them aware of their rights and responsibilities under Title VIII of the Fair Housing Act. In addition, it will provide counseling and technical assistance as needed to consumers and professionals to further compliance with fair housing law.

Montgomery
Private Enforcement Initiative - Central Alabama Fair Housing Center
$219, 200

The Central Alabama Fair Housing Center plans to continue its enforcement, education, and outreach activities in the City of Montgomery and the surrounding 29-county region of central Alabama. The center will also expand its testing and complaint intake/investigative activities to four target communities for the purpose of reducing the incidence of housing discrimination based on race, national origin, and disability. Specifically, the center will: (1) investigate race-based steering practices in the sale of housing in the tri-county area of Montgomery, Elmore, and Autauga counties; (2) investigate and remedy sales, rental, and mortgage lending discrimination directed toward African-American residents of 12 impoverished rural counties in western Alabama, collectively known as the "Black Belt"; (3) identify and address the fair housing needs and problems of Hispanic/Latino residents and recent immigrants, particularly those who are in linguistically isolated communities; and (4) investigate and remedy housing discrimination directed toward people with disabilities throughout the state.

Arizona

Phoenix
Education and Outreach Initiative/Hispanic Awareness Component- ACORN Housing Authority of Arizona
$99,840

ACORN Housing Corporation of Arizona (AHC of AZ) is dedicated to increasing low-income, minority homeownership, including outreach to the Hispanic population. Using bilingual flyers, mailings, presentations, and public service announcements, AHC of AZ will offer one-on-one support for homebuyers and persons with potential Fair Housing complaints, as well as to help them avoid discriminatory and predatory selling and lending practices. The target area for this 12-month initiative will be the Phoenix neighborhoods south of the Salt River and the lower west side. Since its inception in 1993, AHC of AZ has established numerous partnerships. Among its many community partners are the Hispanic Realtors Group and the National Indian Council on Aging, with which it has collaborated on conferences and homeownership fairs.

Phoenix
Private Enforcement Initiative - Arizona Fair Housing Center
$213,655.20

Through this 12-month project, the Arizona Fair Housing Center will provide investigative services and education/outreach, concentrating its efforts in Maricopa, Yavapai, Coconino, Apache, Navajo, Gila, and Mohave counties. Special attention will be given to disabled and immigrant populations. The project will conduct 175 paired rental tests, 20 paired tests to identify steering and predatory lending, 30 insurance tests, 25 paired tests to support potential violations, and 50 single tests for accessibility. The project will also assist residents with fair housing complaints.

Tucson
Private Enforcement Initiative - Southwest Fair Housing Council
$218,535.20

The Southwest Fair Housing Council (SWFHC) will continue its existing services, as well as expand programs in communities with a demonstrated need for additional services. Through this 12-month project, SWFHC will provide investigative services, as well as education and outreach, concentrating these efforts in 80 of Arizona's 82 colonias. The project will conduct recruitment and training of 40 testers, 75 systemic match-based tests, 25 match-paired lending tests, 50 disability tests, and 25 complaint-based tests, and it will assist residents with fair housing complaints. In addition, this project will expand services to underserved communities in Maricopa County, including metropolitan Phoenix, and establish a fair housing clinic to serve over 3,500 residents of the Old Nogales Highway colonial in Pima County.

Arkansas

Little Rock
Education and Outreach Initiative/Homeownership Component - Arkansas Community Housing Corporation
$50,000

The Arkansas Community Housing Corporation (ACHC) will continue its efforts to build public awareness of housing discrimination and inform the public of fair housing laws. ACHC also aims to make known options for redress in cases where housing discrimination is suspected. Specific activities include: distributing 15,000 flyers, creating new radio Public Service Announcements and translating them into Spanish, conducting 12 fair housing presentations per year, and initiating mass mailings with fair housing materials to 4,000 households in targeted neighborhoods. To implement this project effectively, ACHC will seek to develop partnerships with other entities, such as churches, unions, community organizations, small businesses, and immigrant organizations, to create more homeownership opportunities for minorities, increase compliance with the Fair Housing Act, expose predatory lending tactics, and implement a referral service for fair housing complaints. ACHC's endeavors will emphasize increasing minority homeownership in Pulaski, Lonoke, Saline, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Faulkner counties.

California

Fresno
Education and Outreach Initiative/Hispanic Awareness Component- Housing Authority of the County of Fresno
$100,000

The Housing Authority of the County of Fresno (Housing Authority) in San Joaquin Valley will operate an education and outreach program that educates the Hispanic population about Fair Housing opportunities. Leveraging its current relationships with the Housing Choice Voucher program, and other partners, including Saint Agnes Medical Center and several government entities, the Housing Authority will offer one-on-one assistance and workshops to its clients. Additional activities include hosting housing fairs and distributing consumer education materials. The agency has served more than 14,000 clients since its inception.

Fresno
Private Enforcement Initiative - Fair Housing Council of Central California
$220,000

The Fair Housing Council of Central California (FHCCC) will carry out several activities aimed at mitigating discriminatory fair housing patterns and practices in the Central San Joaquin Valley of California. This 18-month project will focus on providing investigative services, as well as education and outreach efforts. Specific endeavors include recruitment and training of 75 testers to conduct rental and sales, insurance, and lending tests; coordination and evaluation of 25 sales tests, 20 paired insurance tests, and 10 paired lending tests; and referrals to HUD for 20 verified complaints. The council will also conduct fair housing education and outreach to the undocumented immigrant population in the San Joaquin Valley region of the Central Valley by utilizing materials that are culturally and linguistically appropriate, i.e., printed materials in English, Spanish, Hmong, Lao, and Cambodian, as well as conducting a regional fair housing conference to raise awareness of fair housing obligations of the housing industry.

Los Angeles
Education and Outreach Initiative/Homeownership Component- Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles
$50,000

The Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles is providing an extensive education and outreach campaign in the Cities of Los Angeles and Long Beach and portions of unincorporated Los Angeles County. The project will address fair housing laws, focusing on helping current and prospective homeowners and borrowers recognize and avoid unfair and unlawful home purchasing and lending practices. Emphasis will also be place don providing referral services to fair housing agencies. Further, the project will promote and increase minority homeownership by preparing minority homebuyers for the homeownership experience. Special emphasis will be placed on the important steps in the homeownership process: selecting property, obtaining a mortgage loan, executing post-purchase responsibilities, and retaining ownership.

Oakland
Private Enforcement Initiative- Sentinel Fair Housing
$187,040.80

Sentinel Fair Housing (SFH) will execute a systemic approach to combating discriminatory fair housing practices in Alameda and Contra Costa counties and southern Solano County, California. SFH will perform 140 paired rental and sales tests, half of which will be race and national origin audits, with the remaining half being done in response to housing discrimination complaints. Other activities include: submitting developed complaints to HUD/DFEH for enforcement action or making referrals to private attorneys, conducting up to 20 audit tests of race and national origin discrimination in southern Solano County, as well as 25 audit tests in Alameda and Contra Costa counties; recruiting and training 20 testers; and translating fair housing materials where necessary.

Oakland
Private Enforcement Initiative - Bay Area Legal Aid
$220,000

Bay Area Legal Aid will implement activities aimed at enforcing fair housing laws and providing education and outreach to local government and community-based organizations within the San Francisco Bay Area. The organization will predominately serve low-income residents. During the course of this 12-month project, Bay Area Legal Aid will conduct 32 community education trainings and 5 fair housing trainings, as well as recruitment and trainings for 15 new testers. Training will focus on educating government and community-based organizations on how to recognize and refer a complaint of housing discrimination and informing community groups about fair housing laws. Bay Area Legal Aid will also investigate 100 complaints, facilitate the conciliation of 50 cases, and assist 300 residents with other fair housing complaints.

Napa
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component- Greater Napa Fair Housing Center
$79,992

The Greater Napa Fair Housing Center (GNFHC), a private, nonprofit organization, will execute a coordinated effort aimed at increasing the public's awareness of fair housing issues and assisting protected groups in exercising their fair housing rights. GNFHC will conduct fair housing workshops on disability rights and seminars for first-time homebuyers. The center will also organize a Fair Housing Month media campaign with television and radio public service announcements, as well as articles in local minority newspapers. In carrying out its mission, GNFHC will use materials developed by HUD, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the National Fair Housing Alliance, and the Ad Council. Project activities will target Napa County residents.

Palo Alto
Private Enforcement Initiative - Project Sentinel
$220,000

Project Sentinel (PS) will conduct an 18-month venture to provide investigative services and education/outreach, concentrating its efforts in the Northern California counties of San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Stanislaus, as well as the City of Fremont. The project will conduct 167 investigative efforts for administrative and judicial enforcement; 40 systemic investigate efforts, including 5 paired test for lending, 5 paired tests for sales, and 5 surveys and/or paired tests for familial status; and 25 accessibility audits. PS' outreach and education elements include coordination meetings with community organizations regarding predatory lending and presentations to community organizations regarding discrimination against various protected groups. PS will also use the media as a significant component of its outreach and education efforts.

San Francisco
Education and Outreach Initiative/Disability Component- AIDS Legal Referral Panel
$22,678

The AIDS Legal Referral Panel (ALRP) will promote awareness and knowledge of fair housing law among people living with HIV/AIDS and other disabilities, as well as among housing and service providers in the city and county of San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area. Through informational meetings and ongoing educational presentations, literature, and training workshops, ALRP will educate people about services available to help meet fair housing needs. Its work also encompasses referrals to project partner Project Sentinel for discrimination testing. The ALRP project is 12 months in duration.

San Francisco
Education and Outreach Initiative/Hispanic Awareness Component- LaRaza Centro Legal
$100,000

La Raza Centro Legal will provide fair housing education and outreach to the Hispanic community in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco and San Mateo Counties. Continuing its grant program that began in 2003, with grassroots partner Centro Legal de la Raza of Oakland, the agency's activities will include fair housing counseling and referrals, media outreach, legal services, and technical assistance and training. This Fair Housing Outreach Project will last 12 months and collaborate with faith organizations to serve other immigrant populations and low-income families also.

San Francisco
Private Enforcement Initiative - California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc.
$220,000

This 12-month project of California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. (CRLA) will address discriminatory fair housing practices in three of California's underserved rural regions, covering approximately 13 counties. CRLA plans to initiate mandatory referrals and increase enforcement activities in rural California, targeting underserved populations, including migrant farmworkers, immigrants, and refugees, limited English-proficient persons, rural poor and ethnic minorities, disabled persons, and the homeless. The project will also target underserved rural populations with fair housing testing, complaint reporting, referral, and enforcement actions; as well as coordinate testing, complaint reporting and referral, and enforcement actions with HUD and the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. In addition, CRLA will update agency fair housing and other training; provide intake and referral of fair housing complaints; seek compliance with Con Plans, Housing Elements, and Analyses of Impediments by State and local governments; and provide enhanced delivery of services in target regions.

Santa Ana
Private Enforcement Initiative - Orange County Fair Housing Council, Inc.
$123, 600

The Orange County Fair Housing Council, Inc. will expand its current services within Orange County, giving particular emphasis to identifying and taking action against steering or discouragement by real estate agents and brokers, and possibly home builders, resulting in denial of housing opportunities to persons in minority groups or persons with disabilities. The expanded activities will include 25 paired systemic sales tests, 20 paired complaint-based sales and non-sales tests, 12 paired telephone tests, and 20 non-paired site visits. The council will continue its program activities that involve conducting education and counseling on issues of housing discrimination, taking complaints, performing testing based on those complaints, engaging in investigation of discrimination allegations and complaints, evaluation of testing results, engaging in mediation of complaints, when appropriate, and enforcing meritorious claims through administrative or court action.

San Rafael
Private Enforcement Initiative - Fair Housing of Marin
$220,000

Fair Housing of Marin (FHOM) will put into action a systemic approach toward averting discriminatory fair housing patterns and practices in three suburban/rural counties in Northern California: Marin, Sonoma, and Napa. The three counties sustain a collective population of almost 800,000 residents. This 18-month project will include: intake of 45 fair housing complaints, 10 accessibility tests, and an independent living audit consisting of 40 tests. FHOM will also distribute fair housing information in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese; solicit complaints through advertising, including placing 10 ads in a local newspaper; provide mediation services; and conduct fair housing clinics, a housing leadership academy, and weekly bilingual fair housing counseling.

Colorado

Denver
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component- Colorado Coalition for the Homeless
$80,000

Colorado Coalition for the Homeless (CCH) will serve the State of Colorado. Specifically, CCH will serve Colorado residents, particularly the homeless, soon-to-be homeless, and formerly homeless; the mentally or physically disabled; immigrants; and minorities. For 12 months, this grant funding allows the agency to assist recipients with filing complains, and the CCH will, educate the community at-large about the Fair Housing Act and its requirements and conduct advocacy/outreach, workshops, and seminars. Its work will be augmented by the participation of partners such as the local FHAP agency and the State of Colorado Civil Rights, that will aid in informing landlords, realtors and property managers, builders and service providers about Fair Housing requirements. The agency currently operates Fair Housing programs in its community.

Connecticut

Hartford
Private Enforcement Initiative - Connecticut Fair Housing Center, Inc.
$220,000

The Connecticut Fair Housing Center (CFHC) will operate a fair housing enforcement program throughout the State of Connecticut to (1) increase homeownership for minorities, first time homebuyers, and renters; (2) fight practices that permit predatory lending and housing discrimination; and (3) educate first-time homebuyer about their rights. During a 12-month period, CFHC will work with its partners to serve its target population of disable and homeless persons, and minority groups residing in Connecticut. CFHC's primary activities will consist of including recruiting and training testers, conducting complaint-based and audit testing, and screening and processing general housing discrimination complaints. Partners include Neighborhood Legal Services, housing authorities that will be trained to ensure that tenants receive reasonable accommodations, the Connecticut Predatory Lending Task Force, and other grassroots, faith- and community based organizations. Its culturally diverse staff possesses a broad array of skills in the areas of civil rights, community outreach, and organizational development and management; the agency has been providing services more than a decade.

District of Columbia

Washington, DC
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component - ACORN Fair Housing, A Project for the American Institute for Social Justice
$80,000

ACORN Fair Housing will conduct education and outreach on predatory lending and other forms of housing discrimination in Bridgeport and Hartford, Connecticut; as well as Providence, Rhode Island. These activities will include conducting outreach presentations, mailing educational materials, and working with borrowers who have received loans from sub prime lenders determined by research to engage in predatory lending practices. In addition, ACORN Fair Housing will conduct research and analysis of conventional and sub prime lending to detect evidence of redlining and reverse redlining of neighborhoods that have high proportions of low-income and/or minority populations. ACORN Fair Housing will also organize and conduct seminars and "Neighborhood Speak Outs" on fair housing to help citizens identify a predatory loan and avoid entering into a predatory loan agreement, in addition to educating them on what to do if a predatory lender has victimized them.

Washington, DC
Education and Outreach Initiative/National Program/Media Component-Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education
$499,938

The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights will continue its efforts to build public awareness of housing discrimination and inform the public of fair housing laws, recourse, and remedies for such discrimination. The conference will strengthen its national education and outreach campaign by engaging in activities, such as redistributing its award-winning public service announcements (PSAs) "Accents" and "Do You Still Like Me?" as well as creating new PSAs for radio and television. The PSAs will be translated into Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Hmong. The organization will also craft messages for the print media to help all Americans better understand their fair housing rights and provide direction to individuals concerning their options if they believe their rights have been violated. The conference will also work toward promoting the 2005 National Fair Housing Month.

Washington, DC
Education and Outreach Initiative/Homeownership Component - D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development
$25,000

The D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will partner with Housing Counseling Services to achieve the primary goal of increasing minority homeownership in the District of Columbia. The partnership will continue conducting its "Your Fair Housing Right to Homeownership" project, which provides fair housing and housing counseling services to underserved African American and immigrant communities, such as Latino, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Ethiopian. In addition, the project will enhance and expand training in the various phases of homeownership for racial and ethnic minorities, and will assist homebuyers with the fair housing complaint process.

Washington, DC
Private Enforcement Initiative - The Equal Rights Center
$220,000

Over the next 18 months, the Equal Rights Center will conduct fair housing enforcement activities in the Greater Washington, DC metropolitan area. Educational, outreach, and direct services will benefit residents of all protected classes. Activities will include complaint intake and investigation; testing for discrimination in the rental, sales, lending, and insurance markets, as well as testing to ensure that persons with disabilities are afforded reasonable accommodations and modifications by housing providers and that new construction rental or sales communities are accessible; recruitment and training of testers; and outreach activities to promote fair housing awareness. Hispanic, Asian, African American, and Caucasian testers, plus 4 testers in wheel chairs will participate. Partners include the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. and the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation.

Florida

Daytona Beach
Education and Outreach Initiative/Homeownership Component - Mid-Florida Housing Partnership, Inc.
$50,000

The Mid-Florida Housing Partnership (MFHP) will partner with Bethune Cookman College to provide education and outreach about the rights and responsibilities of fair housing laws with special emphasis on increasing minority homeownership. The partnership will train students at the college on fair housing laws and first-time homebuyer programs. In turn, students will conduct education and outreach activities at minority churches. MFHP will focus its efforts on providing accessibility workshops to builders and architects and teaching predatory lending practices in its first-time homebuyer education classes. The project aims to facilitate the first-time purchase of homes for very low-, low-, and moderate-income families in Volusia and Flagler counties.

Jacksonville
Private Enforcement Initiative - Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc.
$219,868

Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc. (JALA) will continue serving the greater Jacksonville/Duval County area to break down barriers of housing discrimination in this highly segregated region. Services will be targeted to persons with disabilities, racial and ethnic minorities, persons who speak English as a second language, immigrants, and other protected groups. JALA will aim to ensure equal opportunity in housing to protected classes, coordinate with faith-based organizations to implement HUD programs, and encourage agencies that work with minorities to participate in HUD programs. Specifically, this project will provide fair housing enforcement training to 30 staff, volunteers, and board members and will conduct education and outreach in six counties. Expected outcomes include increased homeownership opportunities, improved accessibility in design and construction, and eradication of homelessness within 10 years.

Miami
Private Enforcement Initiative - Housing Opportunities Project for Excellence, Inc.
$220,000

Housing Opportunities Project for Excellence (HOPE) will continue providing fair housing services in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. HOPE will intake and process 250 fair housing complaints; recruit and train 50 testers; conduct 75 rental tests, 25 sales tests, 25 lending tests, and 75 accessibility tests; facilitate mediation of 5 fair housing disputes; and refer 25 enforcement proposals to HUD, private attorneys, and other administrative agencies. HOPE's services will continue to educate and address the fair housing needs of protected classes and low-income residents, including special issues faced by immigrant populations.

St. Petersburg
Education and Outreach Initiative/Disability Component - Boley Centers for Behavioral Healthcare
$90,922

The Boley Centers for Behavioral Health Care (Boley) provide education and outreach services to individuals with disabilities. This 12-month project will serve 400 Pinellas County residents, by offering them client-specific workshops, for example, ones targeted to individuals with mental illness or visual impairments, along with information dissemination about enforcement rights and fair housing laws. Reading level-appropriate material and a web site will be developed under the leadership of staff that have served the agency for more than 25 years. With partners including the Watson Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired and Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, Inc., Boley will oversee several activities, for example, complaint referrals and tester training.

Tampa
Private Enforcement Initiative - Bay Area Legal Services, Inc.
$152,701.60

Bay Area Legal Services, Inc. will engage in a variety of outreach, educational, and training activities in efforts to enforce fair housing laws and to promote the availability of affordable housing on behalf of housing discrimination victims in Tampa and Hillsborough counties. The organization will achieve this through various activities, such as: recruiting and training 20 testers to conduct rental and lending tests; providing fair housing enforcement training to 30 staff persons, volunteers, and board members; offering education about fair housing rights to protected classes and underserved populations; and working with grassroots, faith-based, and other community-based organizations in HUD programs. Efforts will be targeted to underserved populations, including persons with disabilities, racial and ethnic minorities, and persons with limited English proficiency.

Georgia

College Park
Education and Outreach Initiative/Disability Component- Peaceful Sanctuary Christian Church
$100,000

The Peaceful Sanctuary Christian Church (PSCC) 12-month program titled JustHousing will promote homeownership and affordable housing and ensure equal housing opportunity for people with disabilities. Its efforts, including information about fair housing laws disseminated statewide, are designed to offer participants an array of individual and family supports that are also culturally competent. In partnership with the New Connections to Work Program at the Atlanta Technical College, and other collaborators, PSCC will present training workshops to community organizations, leaders, and consumers in order to encourage Georgians with disabilities to perceive and report instances of fair lending and/or fair housing discrimination. Eight workshops in at least eight of the following counties are planned: Warren, Hancock, Jefferson, Burke, Talbot, Taylor, Marion, Stewart, Quitman, Wheeler, Telfair, Calhoun, Pierce, Ware and Brantley. PSCC will use print, broadcast, and electronic media to reach its target audience.

East Point
Private Enforcement Initiative - Metro Fair Housing Services, Inc.
$220,000

Metro Fair Housing Services will use funding under this 18-month grant to expand its current operations. The organization, which has been in operation for the past 30 years, will continue to further fair housing by conducting Analyses of Impediments to fair housing choices. Metro Fair Housing Services, Inc. will continue conducting its extensive testing activities, referring complaints to HUD, initiating education and outreach efforts, and collaborating with other organizations, such as Access Center for Independent Living, The Mexican Center, and the NAACP.

Hawaii

Honolulu
Private Enforcement Initiative - Legal Aid Society of Hawaii
$220,000

During an 18-month period, the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii (LASH) will serve minorities and the homeless throughout the State of Hawaii by: (1) providing intake, referral, and advocacy services (including conciliation and litigation); (2) conducting fair housing investigations and systemic housing discrimination testing; (3) increasing testing activities statewide; and (4) provide counseling and technical services to complainants, their attorneys, grassroots, and faith based organizations. Legal Aid' s expansive and ongoing experience with housing issues that effect the low-income have made it a logical location for this fair housing enforcement initiative. LASH has teamed with multiple partners, including some charged with the responsibility of fair housing enforcement such as the Community Development Corporation of Hawaii (HCDCH), the City and County of Honolulu, and the Counties of Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii.

Idaho

Boise
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component- Idaho Legal Aid Services, Inc.
$80,000

Idaho Legal Aid Services, Inc. plans to conduct 120 fair housing educational symposia throughout Idaho to educate more than 8,000 consumers, service providers and individuals in the housing industry about requirements and procedures under the Fair Housing Act. This project will target underserved consumers, particularly protected classes in rural areas, a growing new immigrant and Hispanic community, persons who are homeless, and persons with disabilities. Idaho Legal Aid will collaborate with 30 other statewide partners, including grassroots, faith-based, and other community-based organizations, to successfully implement this project.

Illinois

Chicago
Private Enforcement Initiative - Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights
$219,988.80

The Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights seeks to increase awareness of fair housing rights, empower victims to report incidents of discrimination, develop credible evidence to support discrimination complaints, and provide relief to discrimination victims in Cook County, Illinois. Over the 12-month duration of this grant, the organization will provide investigative services and outreach, concentrating its efforts in three communities that comprise Chicago's Empowerment Zone: the near West Side, Pilsen/Little Village, and the near South Side. The Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights will refer a minimum of 15 complaints to HUD, file six or more lawsuits over the grant term, and recruit pro bono lawyers to litigate housing discrimination cases.

Chicago
Private Enforcement Initiative - The John Marshall Law School
$219,668.80

The John Marshall Law School will use funding to continue its broad-based, full-service program that is operated through its fair housing legal clinic. The program offers legal representation for people who have experienced housing discrimination and have meritorious complaints that can be handled effectively in the clinic. Geographically, the project will focus on metropolitan Chicago and northwest Indiana communities, and on the interrelationships that exists among the following communities: Near West Side, Pilsen/Little Village, the Southern Empowerment Zone, and Near North Side, as well as the uptown communities in the City of Chicago. Yearly, 600 persons are expected to contact the clinic for advice. The clinic expects to maintain an active caseload of approximately 45 to 50 cases. Staffing will include three full-time attorneys, as well as part-time staff including a litigation attorney, a test coordinator, a bookkeeper, and a receptionist.

Homewood
Private Enforcement Initiative - South Suburban Housing Center
$200,000

The South Suburban Housing Center will implement necessary actions toward ensuring that the housing markets serving the south metropolitan region are open and free of discriminatory practices impacting African-Americans, Latinos, the disabled, and all other protected groups who pursue housing in these suburban areas. In addition, the center will continue its efforts in adjacent central Illinois and northwest Indiana to address the fair housing enforcement and complaint intake needs of these underserved areas. Specific activities include conducting more than 220 matched fair housing tests over a 12-month period and increasing the number of fair housing complaint intakes through outreach efforts and testing.

Rockford
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component- Prairie State Legal Services, Inc.
$80,000

Prairie Legal Services, Inc. seeks to build upon its current education and outreach activities by delivering a series of informal legal education presentations at individual community-based organizations that work with homeless populations or one or more populations protected by the Fair Housing Act. The project, which will serve 35 counties in northern and central Illinois, will also update its Web site and make appearances on local television and radio programs to promote fair housing and raise public awareness concerning this issue.

Springfield
Education and Outreach Initiative/Disability Component- Statewide Independent Living Council of Illinois
$86,400

The Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) provides leadership, research, planning, and education for Centers for Independent Living in Illinois. Its 12-month project, the Homeownership Coalition Program, will promote equal housing opportunities for individuals protected under Federal, State, and local Fair Housing laws, including the disabled and homeless, Latinos, and those residing in rural areas. The program will be located in 1 city and 6 rural counties. Its partners, the Latino Outreach Association of Central Illinois and a network of 24 consumer-directed Centers for Independent Living will participate in key activities, including Fair Housing educational seminars and training for realtors, landlords, developers/builders and other community-based organizations; discussions with government officials and community leaders on ways to reduce regulatory barriers to affordable, accessible housing; and submission of newsletter articles about the complaint referral process and outreach through local newspapers, local access TV, and community radio.

Wheaton
Private Enforcement Initiative - HOPE Fair Housing Center
$219,586.40

HOPE Fair Housing Center will continue to aggressively expand its comprehensive enforcement program in the suburban areas of DuPage, Kane, McHenry, and northwestern and western Cook counties. HOPE will initiate 25 nontesting investigations in a minimum of three cities to uncover and challenge flagrant practices of harassment, disparate and overzealous enforcement, neglect of housing codes, invasive searches and early morning raids, and intimidating or inappropriate use of police presence. The project will also conduct 25 tests within three municipalities that are potential targets of illegal steering based on race and national origin, in addition to conducting a minimum of 200 telephone tests using African-American, Latino, Middle Eastern and White testers to open up rental opportunities in desirable neighborhoods. Furthermore, HOPE will work with eight community agencies to conduct 15 sales tests, 10 mortgage lending tests, and 20 disability tests. In addition, HOPE will also conduct 10 nontesting investigations to expose and take action against housing providers who refuse to make newly constructed housing accessible.

Indiana

Indianapolis
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component - Indiana Civil Rights Commission
$80,000

The Indiana Civil Rights Commission (IHRC) seeks to implement a statewide fair housing awareness campaign to address housing discrimination. The commission will target all protected classes, making special efforts to reach Latino population and people with disabilities in Indiana's nonentitlement communities. IHRC plans to educate Indiana citizens of their fair housing rights through radio and print advertising campaigns. They will also be placing fair housing literature throughout the state in different venues. All aspects of the campaign should be provided in English and also in Spanish.

Kentucky

Lexington
Private Enforcement Initiative - Lexington Fair Housing Council
$207,531.20

The Lexington Fair Housing Council (LFHC) will continue its fair housing enforcement testing and complaint intake/investigation programs throughout the State of Kentucky. Over 18 months, LFHC will recruit and/or train testers representing all of the Fair Housing Act protected classes, and also provide mediation services. Accessibility site survey tests of covered multifamily housing developments, along with rental, sales, and reasonable modifications/accommodations tests will be completed. Having received past excellent ratings, he agency services will originate from a multitude of sources that reflect its partnerships with private individuals, community- and faith-based organizations, protected-class advocacy groups, local government agencies, and minority-servicing institutions and organizations, such as the Community Reinvestment Alliances, Partners for Youth, and the Board of Realtors. Mediation and other appropriate methods will be utilized to resolve complaints.

Louisiana

New Orleans
Private Enforcement Initiative - Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center, Inc.
$219,999.20

The Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center (FHAC), through the Louisiana Fair Housing Alliance (LFHA), will participate in a consortium to serve all Federally protected classes of people throughout the State. Recipients of services include new immigrants, the mentally disabled, and public housing residents. The Consortium's focus will be education of and access to services for its clients, and the creation of a system for engaging undergraduates and law students to produce more fair housing advocates and attorneys. Enforcement referrals to HUD, tester recruitment for rental, sales, mortgage, and insurance testing, systemic investigations, and outreach contacts and presentations will unite LFHA with its consortium and other partners, namely the Greater Shreveport Human Relations Commission (GSHRC); Urban Restoration Enhancement Corporation (UREC), Southern University at New Orleans, Southern University Law Center, and the Consumer Credit Counseling Services of New Orleans.

New Orleans
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component- ACORN Institute, Inc.
$80,000

ACORN Institute, Inc. will conduct education and outreach activities to low-income, minority, immigrant, and rural populations in Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Broward Counties in Southern Florida. The institute seeks to expand its education and outreach activities to collaborate with Florida ACORN, as well as other grassroots, faith-based, Hispanic, civil rights, disability, and other community-based advocacy organizations. In doing so, ACORN Institute, Inc. will utilize fair housing materials from HUD, develop in-house literature and advertise in community newspapers, and conduct community events that focus on fair housing and predatory lending issues.

New Orleans
Education and Outreach Initiative/Disability Component- Advocacy Center
$100,000

The Advocacy Center's (AC's) 12-month project will direct education and outreach activities toward all persons in southwest and south central Louisiana who protected by Federal, State, and local fair housing laws, but its focus will be on the needs of individuals with disabilities, particularly those with sensory impairments (i.e., persons who are deaf, blind, and deaf blind). With partners the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center and the Human Development Center, AC will provide a coordinated, collaborative, and ongoing program that develops and disseminates information to disabled clients and their families and service providers. Some activities include expansion of the training curriculum, presentation of a train-the-trainer session, collaboration to host a symposium, maintenance of a web site, and increased complaint filings.

Maine

Portland
Private Enforcement Initiative - Pine Tree Legal Assistance
$220,000

During an 18-month period, Pine Tree Legal Assistance (PTLA) will support investigation and enforcement of local, State, and Federal fair housing laws throughout the State of Maine. As Maine's first private enforcement program, PTLA brings several years of experience, and strong support from the Maine Human Rights Commission, the State FHAP, and 18 other project partners. Education and outreach will be directed toward members of all protected categories, with a special emphasis on discrimination based on familial status, disability, and new immigrant status. Growing evidence of discrimination against victims of domestic violence and sexual assault necessitates their inclusion in the target population as well. Additional activities are testing, complaint processing, and securing reasonable accommodations for disabled persons, and a multilingual brochure, and media support facilitated by the Maine Bar Foundation for expanding public awareness of the project and for available resources.

Maryland

Baltimore
Private Enforcement Initiative - Baltimore Neighborhood, Inc.
$182,468.80

During an 18-month period, Baltimore Neighborhoods, Inc. (BNI) plans to conduct a fair housing enforcement program in Baltimore City and in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Harford, Howard, and Washington Counties. BNI will conduct testing programs that include both sales and rental testing, along with investigations regarding compliance with accessibility provisions at new construction sites. BNI will work with private and public housing organizations, Hispanic, African-American organizations that have minority memberships, and government housing agencies. For example, the Fair Housing Information Clearing House is poised to become a primary source of materials relevant to this project. BNI has been serving its community since 2001, and will continue under this project to assist individuals who are members of the protected groups under the Federal Fair Housing Act and victims of discrimination in housing. However, BNI's services are available at no cost to everyone in the Baltimore.

Baltimore
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component- American Environmental Justice Project
$80,000

The American Environmental Justice Project (AEJP), one of the largest and most comprehensive central Maryland civil rights organizations, will conduct education and outreach on predatory lending and other forms of housing discrimination in Baltimore city and Howard, Prince George's, and Baltimore Counties. Its activities will include outreach presentations, mailings, and operating a telephone hotline to receive allegations of predatory lending. Additionally, AEJP will conduct research and analysis of conventional and sub-prime lending in the area to detect evidence of redlining and reverse redlining of certain neighborhoods. Moderate- and low-income individuals and families, immigrant populations and people with limited English proficiency will receive services. Acorn Fair Housing Organization, along with several other local agencies, will collaborate in this 12-month initiative.

Massachusetts

Boston
Private Enforcement Initiative - Fair Housing Center of Greater Boston
$219,996

The Fair Housing Center of Greater Boston (FHCGB) will use funding to continue providing its full-service fair housing enforcement services to the greater Boston area, including Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, and Suffolk counties. During the course of this 18-month project, FHCGB will provide investigative services, education, and outreach to members of all protected classes. The project will conduct 100 paired rental and sales tests, complete 20 paired mortgage lending tests, and assist at least 150 people with potential fair housing complaints.

Holyoke
Private Enforcement Initiative - The Housing Discrimination Project
$220,000

The Connecticut Fair Housing Center, Inc. (CFHC) will provide fair housing enforcement services throughout the State of Connecticut. Through this 12-month grant, the center will provide investigative services, outreach, and education to members of all protected classes with an emphasis on serving the homeless and families with children. The project will conduct 50 paired rental tests and investigate at least 250 complaints of housing discrimination.

Springfield
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component - HAP, Inc.
$79,971.20

HAP, Inc. endeavors to expand and facilitate access to affordable housing opportunities throughout Hampden and Hampshire counties in Western Massachusetts. HAP's overarching mission is to improve housing conditions for low- and moderate-income families, with an overall goal to increase the number of members of protected classes who know and understand their fair housing rights and the mechanisms that are available to exercise those rights. HAP will provide fair housing education and outreach services and will serve persons protected by the Fair Housing Act. Particular emphasis will be placed on meeting the housing needs of the homeless; tenants attempting to move to homeownership, including Section 8 program participants; recent immigrant populations; and the disabled community. HAP, Inc. will seek out new sites, such as libraries, college housing offices, neighborhood council offices, and human services agencies, where fair housing information will be readily available to the public.

Michigan

Ann Arbor
Private Enforcement Initiative - Fair Housing Center of Southeastern Michigan
$67,384.86

The Fair Housing Center of Southeastern Michigan (FHCSM), over the next 18 months, will serve 3 Michigan counties (Washtenaw, Lenawee, and Monroe) by filing HUD and State fair housing complaints; completing rental, sales, and mortgage tests in response to complaints; recruiting and training testers; and obtaining reasonable accommodations for the disabled.

Detroit
Private Enforcement Initiative - Fair Housing Center of Metropolitan Detroit
$ 98,985.60

The Fair Housing Center of Metropolitan Detroit plans to conduct 75 investigations of unlawful discrimination and refer the complaints to administrative agencies such as HUD or the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. In addition, the center will conduct 25 systemic test investigations of eight multifamily housing providers to identify compliance with the accessibility provisions of the Federal Housing Act. Activities will be performed over a 12-month period.

Flint
Private Enforcement Initiative - Legal Services of Eastern Michigan
$161,034.40

Legal Services of Eastern Michigan (LSEM) will use funding to implement a systemic approach to combating discriminatory fair housing practices in eastern Michigan, including Genesee, Bay, Midland, and Saginaw counties. For a 12-month period, LSEM will provide a range of fair housing services to include education, outreach, testing, complaint intake, investigation, and enforcement in the aforementioned areas. The project will secure 10 new networking agreements with agencies, initiate 6 education sessions, hold 12 tester trainings, ensure a diverse pool of 100 testers, conduct 250 paired tests, submit 30 enforcement agreements to HUD, and generate 5 conciliation agreements.

Grand Rapids
Private Enforcement Initiative - Fair Housing Center of Greater Grand Rapids
$175,820

The Fair Housing Center Greater Grand Rapids will carry out several activities designed to mitigate discriminatory fair housing practices in Kent County, as well as in nine surrounding counties. This 12-month project includes conducting intake, investigations, and testing of 100 complaints; developing systemic cases; recruiting and training 30 new testers; and providing additional training for 20 testers. The project also involves training service agency staff and clients; conducting a legal seminar on investigation and litigation of individual and systemic cases; and conducting 270 rental tests, 40 sales tests, and 50 design and construction tests. In addition, 5% of funds allocated for this project will go toward education and outreach.

Kalamazoo
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component - Fair Housing Center of Southwest Michigan
$80,000

The Fair Housing Center of Southwest Michigan plans to conduct education and outreach targeted primarily to protected class members throughout nine counties in Southwest Michigan, including Barry, Branch, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, Allegan, St. Joe, Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties. The center plans to conduct an average of three presentations per month, at least one of which will focus on a disability group. Several will focus on the homeless population. These fairs are projected to reach between 360 and 1,800 people over a 12-month period. The center will develop and provide materials in Spanish, as well as an alternative format for persons who are visually impaired. The center will also complete the opening of its second satellite office, which will serve Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren counties.

Minnesota

Minneapolis
Private Enforcement Initiative - Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis
$220,000

The Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis (LASM) will partner with Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services in a project to improve enforcement of the Fair Housing Act in 53 southern and central Minnesota counties for low-income individuals and families in the rental and home ownership markets. This project will serve specific underserved populations, including persons with disabilities, new immigrants, and homeless people. Specific project activities include housing discrimination complaint intake, screening and referral services to at least 250 complainants; full-service housing discrimination investigation, testing, preparation, negotiation, counseling, litigation, and related legal services. Project efforts are expected to result in an increased number of meritorious complaints referred to HUD for enforcement.

St. Paul
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component- ACORN Housing Corporation
$80,000

ACORN Housing Corporation, Inc. will increase compliance with the Fair Housing Act through public outreach and education, which will not only inform community members of their fair housing rights, but also connect individuals and families with HUD-certified counseling agencies to help them purchase a home, avoid predatory loan, and/or keep their home. This project will be implemented in HUD's Minnesota region, specifically in Minneapolis and St. Paul neighborhoods with large numbers of African-Americans and recent immigrants from Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Mississippi

Sardis
Private Enforcement Initiative - North Delta Mississippi Enterprise Community Development Corporation
$220,000

The North Delta Enterprise Community Fair Housing Clinic (NDECFHC) will primarily serve the economically distressed portions of Quitman, Tallahatchie, and Panola Counties, by facilitating complaint referrals to HUD, conducting paired and follow-up testing, and counseling clients on their fair housing rights and laws. Since 1995, NDECFHC's parent agency has become a vast organizational resource with its service delivery in the areas such as fair and affordable housing, housing counseling, education and outreach, and research and public policy. Past and current partners include the North Carolina Fair Housing Center and the John Law School Fair Housing Clinic as a training resource.

Missouri

St. Louis
Private Enforcement Initiative - Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing Opportunity Council
$219,999.32

Serving 4 counties in eastern Missouri, the City of St. Louis, and 3 counties in southwestern Illinois, the Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing Opportunity Council (EHOC) will assist home seekers in enforcing their fair housing rights and identifying violations of housing discrimination laws. Bringing 12 years experience and experience with prior FHIP grants and numerous other projects, EHOC will partner with the Fair Housing Collaborative to educate individuals, companies, local governments and organizations on their rights and responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act, conduct testing and complaint-based and accessibility audits, and facilitate HUD referrals. Legal services and faith-based organizations also partner with EHOC, which will serve any person that has a bona fide complaint. In particular immigrants, and the disabled and homeless populations will benefit. Special emphasis will be given to racially segregated communities and victims of predatory lending.

St. Louis
Education and Outreach Initiative/Homeownership Component- Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis
$50,000

The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis will use funding to augment its existing education and outreach activities in the City of St. Louis and North St. Louis County in Missouri, as well as St. Clair County in Illinois. The organization will distribute Fair Housing Act literature to Urban League clients, hold educational workshops, and provide training to homebuyers through a variety of community outreach activities. The overarching goals of the project are to increase minority homeownership, promote public awareness of fair housing laws, and make the homebuying process less complicated and less expensive.

Montana

Missoula
Private Enforcement Initiative - Montana Fair Housing Center
$219,869.60

During this 18-month project, Montana Fair Housing, Inc. (MFH) will expand its investigative services and education/outreach throughout the State, specifically Billings, Missoula, and Great Falls. The disabled and Native American, and other members of underserved populations will benefit from these initiatives. Activities entail paired rental tests and non-rental tests, complaint-based enforcement, and outreach and education. MFP will partner with city and county offices in order to provide numerous workshops, and the Billings' Community Housing Resource Board (CHRB), for example, will collaborate with MFP to conduct design and construction training for building inspectors, architects, developers, contractors and others interested in and involved with the housing industry. The MFH received HUD Best Practices Awards in 1999 and 2000.

Nebraska

Chadron
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component - High Plains Community Development Corporation, Inc.
$34,871.54

Serving mainly rural/small communities, High Plains Community Development Corporation, Inc. (HPCDC) will expand its 3-year-old fair housing project, Proyecto de Vivienda Digna, beyond its current northwest Nebraska Counties of Box Butte, Dawes, Sheridan and Sioux to include the north, central county of Cherry, which borders the Rosebud Reservation. Native American and Hispanic residents, including the homeless, the elderly, and persons with disabilities, will receive Fair Housing counseling and services informing them about their rights and obligations under the Federal Fair Housing Act, the Nebraska Fair Housing Act, and the Nebraska Landlord and Tenant Act. With partners, such as New Mexico Legal Aid, HPCDC will deliver a cross-section of services, for example, workshops conducted in collaboration with other agencies, the distribution of materials to government and community agencies, intake and referrals on calls to the Fair Housing hotline, and advertising and other multimedia, educational campaigns directed at different shareholder groups.

Omaha
Private Enforcement Initiative - Family Housing Advisory Services, Inc.
$220,000

Family Housing Advisory Services (FHAS) will expand its fair housing enforcement activities to underserved populations in Nebraska and western Iowa. During the course of this 18-month project, FHAS will provide investigative services and outreach, concentrating its efforts on new immigrant populations, the homeless, people with disabilities, and Native Americans. The project will conduct 40 paired rental tests and 40 paired sales, insurance, or lending tests. FHAS will maintain a 24-hour, toll-free housing discrimination hotline and will assist approximately 600 residents with potential fair housing complaints.

Nevada

Reno
Private Enforcement Initiative - Silver State Fair Housing Council
$218,462

The Silver State Fair Housing Council (SSFHC) will us this grant to implement a systemic approach to combating discriminatory fair housing practices in 14 predominantly rural Nevada counties. Over the next 18 months, SSFHC will conduct a total of 70 paired tests, as well as recruit and train 30 new housing discrimination testers. SSFHC will also conduct intake, assessment, and referral activities for northern Nevada residents; conduct outreach activities; develop housing discrimination claims; conduct outreach and assessments related to the FHA design requirements; assist persons with disabilities in receiving reasonable accommodations; and refer bona fide complaints to HUD. Services provided under this project will target all protected classes.

New Hampshire

Manchester
Private Enforcement Initiative - New Hampshire Legal Assistance
$219,602.40

New Hampshire Legal Assistance (NHLA) will use this grant to continue to promote equal access to housing for all protected classes in New Hampshire. Over the next 18 months, NHLA will provide outreach and investigative services that includes conducting 40 paired rental tests and assisting people with potential fair housing complaints.

New Jersey

Hackensack
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component- Citizens Action of New Jersey
$80,000

Citizen Action of New Jersey seeks to prevent predatory lending practices by (1)conducting seminars on predatory lending practices to community leaders whose clientele may be targeted by predatory lending practices, (2) imparting knowledge to high-risk consumers throughout New Jersey regarding their fair housing rights, and (3) identifying and referring fair housing complaints and cases to HUD.

Hackensack
Private Enforcement Initiative - Fair Housing Council of Northern New Jersey
$220,000

The Fair Housing Council of Northern New Jersey (FHCNNJ), a 50-year old agency, will conduct this 12-month project to provide statewide fair housing enforcement activities that will benefit residents of all protected classes (race, color, national origin, religion, families with children, sex and persons with disabilities). Activities will include testing for discrimination in the rental and sales markets, increasing the number of complaints to HUD, and conducting a housing counseling program. FHCNNJ's links with its partners through several community- and faith-based partners that will refer clients to the agency for assistance.

New Mexico

Albuquerque
Private Enforcement Initiative - New Mexico Legal Aid, Inc.
$220,000

This grant will allow New Mexico Legal Aid, Inc. (NMLA) to implement a systemic approach to combating discriminatory fair housing patterns and practices during the next 18 months. Concentrating its efforts in the Colonias and Santa Fe and Dona Ana Counties, NMLA will provide enforcement services and testing services to homeless and immigrant populations. Fifty paired tests, an information and referral hotline, and assistance to approximately 900 residents with fair housing complaints describe the major activities under this project. With 10 years experience, NMLA will continue its work, collaborating with such partners as the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, day shelter provider St. Martin's Hospitality Center, and Somos Un Pueblo Unidos (Santa Fe) and Enlace Communitario (Albuquerque), both of which are grassroots, community-based programs.

Santa Fe
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component- City of Santa Fe
$77,493.60

The City of Santa Fe will utilize fair housing materials from HUD, develop in-house literature and advertise in community newspapers, and attend community events to focus on fair housing, disability, and predatory lending issues with an added focus on the growing Hispanic community in Santa Fe County. Over the next 12 months, the City of Santa Fe seeks will expand its education and outreach activities through collaborations with Somos Un Pueblo Unido (Somos), New Mexico Legal Aid, and others, including Hispanic and disability community-based organizations. Activities include conducting regional seminars and workshops for residents. The agency is a past recipient of HUD funding.

New York

The Long Island Housing Services (LIHS) plans to investigate patterns of housing discrimination in policies and practices for three underserved populations in Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island: Hispanics, African Americans, and people with disabilities. During this 12-month project, LIHS will recruit and train testers, investigate allegations of discrimination in rental or sales housing, conduct enforcement level testing, co-sponsor seminars with community organizations, and monitor several agencies and building departments for accessibility compliance under the Fair Housing Amendments Act. With 35 years experience, LIHS' work continues in cooperation with grassroots and faith-based groups that will assist in presenting two fair housing seminars or conferences.

New York

The Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project (NEDAP) brings together a collaboration between grassroots, faith-based, and community-based groups, as well as legal services organizations from the five boroughs of New York City to address fair housing issues, particularly predatory mortgage lending. NEDAP will focus on new immigrants, a growing population that is especially vulnerable to unfair lending practices. In doing so, NEDAP will carry out extensive education and outreach services to residents and organizations in the city by (1) identifying foreclosure patterns, (2) conducting fair lending presentations, 3) conducting an aggressive media campaign on lending issues, (4) working with groups that have a limited-English speaking clients, (5) expanding and using a legal referral network to forward fair housing complaints to relevant enforcement agencies, and (6) training Federal and State bank examiners on patterns and instances of possible fair lending and fair housing violations.

New York

South Brooklyn Legal Services (SBLS) will conduct a broad-based, full-service enforcement project to provide comprehensive assistance to New York City residents who have been victims of Fair Housing Act violations, particularly pertaining to discriminatory home sales, financing, and insurance practices. This 18-month project will be implemented by SBLS' Foreclosure Prevention Project, an integrated outreach, education, and legal service delivery program for low- and moderate-income homeowners who have been targeted for abusive lending or sales practices. SBLS will focus on nonwhite and disabled homeowners and will serve all five boroughs of New York City, concentrating its efforts within the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. The Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project and a broad coalition of grassroots organizations, community-based organizations, attorneys, and government agencies will participate in the project.

Syracuse
Private Enforcement Initiative - Fair Housing Council of Central New York, Inc.
$210,723.20

The Fair Housing Council of Central New York will conduct enforcement in the counties of Cayuga, Onondaga, Oswego, Oneida, Jefferson and St. Lawrence. Project activities will include 50 rental tests, 20 lending tests, and 10 insurance tests. The council will also conduct a minimum of 24 housing counseling sessions and 12 education and outreach workshops for members of protected classes and to underserved populations in these areas.

North Carolina

Durham
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component - North Carolina Fair Housing Center
$78,134.40

The North Carolina Fair Housing Center (NCFHC) will implement the Recitals for Justice Program, a school-based fair housing education and outreach initiative designed to create opportunities for the community to engage in discussions around segregation, fair housing, and the impact on that State. The project will use three books related to issues of fair housing and civil rights in the Chapel Hill and Carrboro school districts to teach school-age children and their parents about fair housing laws and civil rights. The project will also encourage discussions of plays and motion pictures with fair housing or housing-related themes. In addition, the NCFHC will conduct seminars and informational sessions throughout the State.

North Dakota

Bismarck
North Dakota Fair Housing Council, Inc. - $219,360
Private Enforcement Initiative (PEI)

Ohio

Akron
Private Enforcement Initiative - Tri County Independent Living Center
$220,000

The Tri-County Independent Living Center (Tri-County) will conduct research into, and 50 tests of, housing opportunities for persons with disabilities. Testing new and existing housing construction for compliance with design guidelines on accessibility describes the basis of Tri-County's work. The application processes of local assisted living and nursing home facilities will be tested across 5 Ohio counties that cover rural and urban geographical areas (Medina, Portage, Start, Summit and Wayne). Tri-County will partner with the Housing Advocates, Inc., combining their unique strengths to ensure that a comprehensive approach is taken toward the issue of housing discrimination against individuals with disabilities.

Cincinnati
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component- Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Greater Cincinnati
$80,000

Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Greater Cincinnati, Inc. (HOME) will conduct an 18-month education and outreach program that will address key areas to strengthen the minority communities in the Greater Cincinnati area, including Hamilton, Butler, Clermont, and Warren counties, as well as the Kentucky counties of Boone, Campbell, and Kenton. HOME plans to produce a video in Spanish and the Mayan Ma'm language on fair housing rights and landlord/tenant rights and responsibilities. It will also conduct fair housing educational workshops for small property investors to provide a fair housing program similar to others in the local area; conduct a media campaign, including direct mail and educational workshops for inner-city homeowners about the dangers of predatory lenders. HOME will continue to work with local apartment associations to educate their managers about responsibilities under fair housing laws; connect with appraisers and insurance agencies to provide adequate coverage to keep home values favorable; and partner with local law enforcement to eliminate fair housing-related harassment that may occur as neighborhoods face diversity.

Cleveland
Education and Outreach Initiative/Disability Component - Housing Research and Advocacy Center
$100,000

The Housing Research & Advocacy Center (Housing Center) will direct its fair housing education and outreach services to all protected class members, particularly, the disabled. Twelve months in duration, this project will team with the Fair Housing Resource Center and the Lorain County Reinvestment Coalition to: (1) plan and implement a regional conference on access to housing; (2) develop a more comprehensive referral and coordination system among agencies, disability advocates, and service and housing providers; (3) conduct provider seminars; and (4) disseminate information to providers and advocates. This project will operate in Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain, Ashtabula, and Geauga Counties. Since 2000, the Housing Center's staff have collaborated with county organizations to host both consumer-oriented and provider conferences, workshops, and forums. Additional experience ranges from publication of quarterly newsletters covering a plethora of fair housing-related topics to performing tests and filing and/or resolving complaints.

Dayton
Private Enforcement Initiative - Miami Valley Fair Housing Center, Inc.
$219,999.02

The Miami Valley Fair Housing Center, Inc. (MVFHC) will implement a project to support its existing enforcement activities that address housing discrimination, particularly racial steering, handicap design, and accessibility discrimination. The project will also augment current activities aimed at identifying predatory lending practices and their disparate effect on African Americans and minority neighborhoods in Montgomery County. A chief tenet of the project is to keep the individual or family in their home, whenever possible.

Toledo
Private Enforcement Initiative - The Fair Housing Center
$220,000

This 12-month project of the Fair Housing Center aims to improve services to victims of discrimination throughout the metropolitan Toledo area, giving emphasis to the Hispanic community. The project incorporates a comprehensive plan for addressing discrimination complaints, providing remedies for violations of fair housing laws, deterring future acts of discrimination, referring jurisdictional complaints to HUD, and expanding equal housing opportunities. The center will carry out its plan through five program components: (1) Victims' Assistance; (2) Complaint Investigation; (3) Outreach to Underserved Populations; (4) Monitoring; and (5) Prevention.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma City
Private Enforcement Initiative - Metropolitan Fair Housing Council of Greater Oklahoma City
$216,380.80

Over the next 18 months, the Metropolitan Fair Housing Council of Greater Oklahoma City (MFHC) will implement a systemic approach to combating discriminatory fair housing patterns and practices throughout Oklahoma. With 25 years of fair housing experience, under this project, MFHC will serve disabled and minority populations, providing them with investigative services and education/outreach. Efforts will center in 9 central, 18 northeast, 19 southeast, 15 southwest, and 16 northwest area counties in Oklahoma. In partnership with social service agencies, grassroots and faith-based organizations, MFHC will provide fair housing education and outreach, along with the complaint-based and systemic testing of housing providers and assistance to residents in filing complaints and requests for reasonable accommodation/modification

Tulsa
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component- Housing Partners of Tulsa, Inc.
$57,262.86

Housing Partners of Tulsa, Inc., a consortium of more than 25 members representing a wide range of organizations, will conduct education and outreach activities to residents of Tulsa, Oklahoma, giving emphasis to the elderly, disabled, and various minority communities. It will partner with the Housing Authority of the City of Tulsa, Area Fair Housing Partnership, and Tulsa Area Alliance of Disabilities to implement its program. Specific activities include utilizing fair housing materials from HUD, developing in-house literature, and advertising in community newspapers, as well as conducting carefully targeted media campaigns to educate the public about fair housing concerns. The project will also provide seminars and workshops to Tulsa residents informing protected classes of their rights under Title VIII of the Fair Housing Act. This grant will also fund a fair housing coordinator position.

Oregon

Portland
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component- Legal Aid Society of Oregon
$79,588.80

In partnership with the FHC of Oregon, Legal Aid Services of Oregon (LASO) plans to conduct fair housing activities that will increase awareness of fair housing rights and responsibilities, address predatory lending issues, provide lessons of accessible design and construction, and effectively remove regulatory barriers for the development of affordable housing. Target populations will include immigrants, realtors and housing developers, the disabled, residents of rural communities, and the general public in Oregon and southwest Washington State. LASO also aims to expand the largest statewide multiple listing service database to facilitate identifying accessible features in homes for sale. Other activities include 12 fair housing programs through live access cable broadcasts that will be translated into four additional languages and prepared for on-line access; education forums for developers and governmental groups; and a statewide fair housing summit for Region 10 leadership.

Portland
Private Enforcement Initiative - Fair Housing Council of Oregon
$219,931.20

The Fair Housing Council of Oregon (FHCO) seeks to provide fair housing enforcement in the State of Oregon and Clark County, Washington, for an 18-month period, focusing its outreach and intake efforts on immigrant and refugee populations, as well as residents of Oregon's rural communities and individuals who are homeless due to discriminatory actions of housing providers. The council will engage in several testing activities, including performing 250 rental and sales transaction audit tests, 57 design and construction accessibility audit tests, and a minimum of 90 complaint-driven tests, as well as conducting apartment canvassing, witness interviews, and document review. Other activities include evaluating a minimum of 600 public housing discrimination complaints, assisting 75 or more callers with disabilities on the reasonable accommodation process, and visiting 19 rural counties to perform field intake and to meet government representatives to review, analyze, and make recommendations regarding their regulatory barriers to affordable housing development. FHCO will provide culturally appropriate contacts to immigrant communities using bilingual and bicultural staff and contract personnel.

Pennsylvania

Glenside
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component - Fair Housing Council of Montgomery County
$80,000

The Fair Housing Council of Montgomery County (FHCMC) will conduct education and outreach in Montgomery County and the Philadelphia metropolitan region. Activities during this 12-month project will focus on educating persons with disabilities and families with children on their rights under the Fair Housing Act, as well as educating housing providers and landlords on their responsibility to make housing available on a nondiscriminatory basis. Additionally, FHCMC will work to reduce regulatory barriers to affordable housing by educating municipal planning and zoning officials on how to avoid discriminatory zoning ordinances. Finally, FHCMC will work with a regional task force to educate the general public on predatory lending.

Pittsburgh
Private Enforcement Initiative - Fair Housing Partnership of Greater Pittsburgh, Inc.
$219,736.80

The Fair Housing Partnership of Greater Pittsburgh, Inc. will conduct a 12-month project to provide fair housing enforcement activities in the City of Pittsburgh, PA as well as Allegheny, Beaver, Washington, and Westmoreland counties. Educational, outreach, and direct services will target residents of all protected classes, focusing on race, national origin, and disability. Activities will include complaint intake and investigation, recruitment and training of testers, and outreach activities to promote fair housing awareness. The partnership will also conduct testing for discrimination in the rental, sales, mortgage lending, and insurance markets; as well as testing to ensure that persons with disabilities are afforded reasonable accommodations and modifications by housing providers and that new construction rental or sales communities are accessible. Special efforts will focus on outreach to immigrant populations and helping first-time homebuyers become aware of predatory lending activities.

Swarthmore
Private Enforcement Initiative - Fair Housing Council of Suburban Philadelphia
$219,760.80

The Fair Housing Council of Suburban Philadelphia (FHCSP) endeavors to reduce housing discrimination against protected classes in the greater Philadelphia area, which includes the City of Philadelphia, as well as Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware, and Chester counties. The 12-month project will conduct 112 rental tests, 30 sales test, 15 construction accessibility tests, and 30 insurance tests. Additional activities include monitoring zoning practices and conducting training, education, and outreach to include media awareness about fair housing issues. The project will give special emphasis to Hispanic and new immigrant populations and will also serve the homeless, persons with limited or no English skills, and persons in the Empowerment Zone. The council will collaborate with three fair housing organizations in southeastern Pennsylvania to implement this program.

Puerto Rico

Ceiba
Education and Outreach Initiative/Hispanic Awareness Component- Ceiba Housing and Economic Development Corporation
$92,386

Ceiba Housing and Economic Development Corporation (CHEDCO) will develop and disseminate information about Fair Housing to the general population through mailings, posters and brochures, and a media campaign that will target both national and regional outlets. A web site, with both Spanish and English content will be maintained. This 12-month project will serve the eastern area of Puerto Rico, but trainings will also be conducted for other nonprofit organizations that serve the rest of Puerto Rico. With more than 12 years experience, CHEDCO and its partners, for example, Federal, State, and municipal governments and private entities such as banking institutions will promote, develop, and improve access to affordable housing for residents.

Rhode Island

Providence
Education and Outreach Initiative/Homeownership Component- Housing Network of Rhode Island Association of Non-Profit Developers
$47,261.50

The Housing Network of Rhode Island is a collaborative initiative of the Housing Network and its membership that offers homebuyer education, housing counseling, and post purchase instructions. The proposed project will address the gap in homeownership between Whites and non-Whites. The overall goal of the project is to increase minority homeownership through homebuyer education, which includes understanding the rights and remedies available under the Fair Housing Act. The Center will recruit minority participants for homebuyer training; produce an easy to understand brochure that will be available in English, Spanish, French and Khymer; include a fair housing page on the existing website; and provide training and technical assistance to partners in order to refer well developed, timely, jurisdictional fair housing complaints to HUD and to the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights. The project will target the urban core cities of: Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, Woonsocket, and Newport.

South Carolina

Georgetown
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component - Waccamaw Regional Council of Governments
$79,445.60

The Waccamaw Regional Council of Governments aims to increase homeownership opportunities through decreased discrimination and promote decent affordable housing through its many outlets. The council plans to conduct education and outreach by way of several fair housing fairs and through the creation of a fair housing Web site and hotline. In addition to fair housing outreach and education activities, the council aims to provide intake and referral services for those who feel that they have experienced housing discriminated. The council also plans to conduct specific fair housing month activities. The program will promote participation of grassroots, faith-based, and other community-based organizations in its endeavors.

Greenville
Education and Outreach Initiative/Homeownership Component - Greenville County Human Relations Commission
$50,000

The Greenville County Human Relations Commission (GCHRC) will continue its efforts to build public awareness of housing discrimination and educate the public of fair housing laws, recourses, and remedies for such discrimination within the target area of Pickens, Spartanburg, Anderson, and Laurens counties in South Carolina. GCHRC will seek to expand its Equal Greenville Housing Opportunities (EGHO) program by continuing to assist individuals who are victims of predatory lending practices, establish an Internet search engine concerning help on housing issues, and implement a fair housing hotline in English and Spanish. Other products and activities will include a Fair Housing Poster and Literature Program, a speakers' bureau, a fair housing children's book, and "Buyer Beware!," a fair housing Newsletter and On-Line Service. EGHO will also conduct an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau and HMDA data to identify underserved areas and populations, convene a Fair Housing Symposium, and operate an automated Fair Housing hotline.

Tennessee

Jackson
Private Enforcement Initiative - West Tennessee Legal Services, Inc.
$220,000

West Tennessee Legal Services, Inc. (WTLS) is a well-established agency, possessing an excellent track record. It will devote time to HUD complaints, conducting fair housing intakes, testing, and meritorious claims. Services such as workshops will be conducted throughout the State, and in partnership with the Tennessee Housing Development Agency, the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, and other community groups. The underserved and protected classes of individuals, with special attention to African American female heads of household, the disabled, and Hispanics will be the recipients of services during this 12-month project that will also encompass education in fair housing law, to include laws addressing predatory lending.

Nashville
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component - Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency
$63,663.20

The Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency's (MDHA) ongoing mission is to serve residents in the city of Nashville and Davison County by providing affordable housing opportunities in a safe environment and to revitalize and maintain neighborhoods. MDHA will continue to conduct fair housing seminars and forums and use electronic and print media to promote fair housing issues. The agency will also host an annual fair housing conference. MDHA will continue to form collaborative working relationships with other fair housing advocates to address the fair housing issues that affect residents of the city of Nashville and Davidson County.

Texas

Austin
Private Enforcement Initiative - Austin Tenant's Council, Inc.
$218,946.40

The Austin Tenants' Council (ATC) will concentrate its efforts on the disabled and immigrant populations living in the Austin Metropolitan Statistical Area. Over the next 18 months, ATC will provide investigative services and rental, sales, and systemic tests. Fair housing complaints and requests for reasonable accommodation and/or modification will also be processed. ATC documents success with previous FHIP grants and its commitment to advancing fair housing within the State. ATC is well integrated into the continuum of social services in Austin and has partnered with numerous other disability rights, religious and immigrant rights groups under both its fair housing and tenant-landlord programs.

Dallas
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component- Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Dallas
$80,000

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Dallas, Inc. will expand fair housing awareness into more underserved markets, particularly in east and west Texas. In doing so, the organization will utilize fair housing materials from HUD, develop in-house literature, provide one-on-one counseling, conduct a series of fair housing education presentations, and participate in minority community fairs and other special events. Outreach to the Hispanic population will focus on new immigrants through English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes and other new immigrant programs. In addition, the program will target the Asian population, focusing on the Vietnamese/Korean community. Consumer Credit Counseling Service will continue to work with the Maple Avenue Economic Development Corporation, City of Dallas Police Department, and West Dallas Economic Development Corporation to provide seminars in these communities.

Houston
Education and Outreach Initiative/Homeownership Component- ACORN Housing Corporation of Texas
$49,865

ACORN Housing Corporation of Texas (AHC of TX) is working toward establishing a fair housing project to serve the predominately minority third and fifth wards, Acres Homes, South Park, Sunnyside, Near Northwest, and the Southwest corridor neighborhoods in Houston, Texas. The overarching goals of the project are to promote compliance with the Fair Housing Act and increase minority homeownership in Houston, particularly among the low- to moderate-income Latino population. AHC of TX plans to assist 130 homebuyers and will achieve its goals through a variety of methods and activities, including: establishing relationships with grassroots organizations, churches, and lending and real estate providers; using HMDA data analysis to educate lenders about the need for additional programs to increase minority homeownership; offering first-time homebuyer services to educate and prepare residents for home purchase; and referring all fair housing complaints to HUD, the Department of Justice, State and local agencies, and/or private attorneys.

Vermont

Burlington
Education and Outreach Initiative/General Component - Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity
$80,000

The Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) will conduct education and outreach activities throughout the State of Vermont and continue to offer fair housing intake and referral services. CVOEC will focus on addressing regulatory barriers to affordable housing and on fair housing education and outreach to homeless service providers, housing service providers, minority populations, and people with disabilities. Under this grant, CVOEO will provide training and information directly to the general public and to targeted groups. Specific activities include the development of televised public service announcements, a handbook for consumers, posters for realtors, and a multifaceted DVD project.

Virginia

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.

Washington

Spokane
Private Enforcement Initiative - Northwest Fair Housing Alliance
$220,000

The Northwest Fair Housing Alliance (NWFHA) will embark on a 12-month project that will focus on fair housing enforcement for the large Hispanic population in small cities and rural areas in southeastern and central Washington State. The project will also address issues for persons with disabilities in the Spokane area, especially those who are homeless or at high risk for becoming homeless. The alliance will leverage its current relationships with several area grassroots organizations in its efforts to expand testing, investigation, and complaint intake to enable individuals and families within the target population to file meritorious fair housing claims with HUD and the Washington State Human Rights Commission.

Tacoma
Private Enforcement Initiative - Fair Housing Center of South Puget Sound
$220,000

The Fair Housing Center of South Puget Sound plans to expand its private enforcement program to serve new immigrant and homeless populations through faith- and community-based organizations, and promote homeownership in its service area of 18 counties in western and central Washington, as well as King and Pierce counties. Proposed program activities are to conduct 60 paired complaint-based rental, sales, and mortgage lending tests in western and central Washington, 2 systemic audits measuring race and national origin (30 paired rental and 30 sales tests) in Snohomish County, and 20 rental race, national origin, familial status, and disability tests in homeless shelters and transitional housing in western and central Washington. The 15-month project will also include training to staff at homeless shelters and transitional housing units, as well as training to new immigrants and conducting outreach to other protected classes. In addition, the center will partner with the Community Home Ownership Center in a statewide initiative to encourage African-American and Hispanic first-time home buyers and address housing discrimination in the housing sales market. The center will also hold a fair housing summit for agencies in Region 10 to develop a plan for coordinated service delivery to new immigrants and quality standards for filing complaints, testing and administration.

Wisconsin

Milwaukee
Private Enforcement Initiative - Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council
$219,994.40

The Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council (MMFHC) plans to conduct a six-pronged enforcement project in nine Wisconsin counties through its two satellite offices. The project's six elements include: (1) conducting a multijurisdictional investigation of newly constructed multifamily dwellings to ensure housing accessibility and increase housing opportunities for persons with disabilities; (2) conducting intake of complaints and investigations of predatory lending practices; (3) conducting a multijurisdictional investigation of systemic forms of discrimination in the housing market against Hispanics and African Americans; (4) partnering with faith-based organizations to expand enforcement efforts; (5) conducting intake, investigation, and case management of complaints to expand statewide coordinated enforcement; and (6) referring complaints to HUD and/or attorneys to increase enforcement and eliminate illegal housing discrimination.

Milwaukee
Fair Housing Organizations Initiative - Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council
$1,049,985

The Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council, Inc., is sponsoring HELP USA in its efforts to open a full-service fair housing center in the New York City. The center will be operated by HELP USA's Fair Housing Justice Center, a newly formed division to provide fair housing enforcement services in an area that has not been served by a fair housing organization since 2002. The organization will take on the following activities: complaint intake, testing, and investigation; counseling complainants and making referrals; and designing and implementing systemic rental testing investigation in New York City. Other project activities include conducting six outreach meetings with HELP USA housing specialists and other program services staff, as well as conducting outreach to 50 organizations during the grant period. In addition, the project will develop and train a panel of cooperating private attorneys to provide legal assistance to victims of housing discrimination. The center will serve the underserved areas and individuals from all protected classes, including immigrants with limited English proficiency. The overarching goal of the project is to increase awareness and compliance with Federal Fair Housing laws, as well as State and local regulations.