HUD PRODUCES VIDEO MESSAGE FOR HISPANIC FAMILIES
YouTube and Facebook video will alert Spanish speaking consumers about important housing issues

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today that it has produced a video for YouTube (www.youtube.com/Hudchannel) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/EspanolHUD) designed to educate Spanish speaking Hispanic families about their fair housing rights.

In the video (www.youtube.com/Hudchannel), a HUD employee, while speaking Spanish explains that it's illegal to discriminate in housing based on race, religion, sex, national origin, disability or family status. Although this is the first of many videos to be produced in Spanish, HUD intends to make others regarding housing counseling services, loan programs offered by the Federal Housing Administration, and the Disaster Housing Assistance Program for residents displaced by Katrina. All videos will encourage viewers to contact HUD by visiting its website, www.hud.gov for help or more information.

Reaching out to consumers on YouTube and Facebook gives HUD another avenue for delivering content to users, particularly those who are bilingual. Since it is more consumer-driven, videos posted on these sites get a different level of exposure than just being posted on HUD's website. Because people usually circulate videos through their own distribution lists, users are more likely to be informed about a video from a friend than by searching for it on their own. However, videos are also searchable by using keywords related to the topic.

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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov. You can also follow HUD on twitter @HUDnews, on facebook at www.facebook.com/HUD, or sign up for news alerts on HUD's News Listserv.