The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today that the Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity (GCEO) is joining the Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP) as an Interim Certified agency. GCEO is a state-level fair housing enforcement agency and is the only organization of its type serving the state.
HUD’s Fair Housing Assistance Program comprises state and local agencies that administer laws that provide rights and remedies that are substantially equivalent to those provided by the Fair Housing Act.
“We welcome the state of Georgia to the program, a state with a long history at the center of the national civil rights movement,” said Anna María Farías, HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “This partnership combines federal resources with local knowledge and enforcement capabilities, which will help ensure that residents of the state have equal access to available housing and economic opportunity.”
As an Interim Certified agency, GCEO will receive funding, training, and technical assistance from HUD for up to three years as it builds its capacity to conduct fair housing enforcement activities. HUD provides annual funding, training, and technical assistance to FHAP agencies on a noncompetitive basis. The Georgia Commission joins 77 agencies in the program that are located throughout the nation.
Persons who believe they have experienced housing discrimination may file a complaint of discrimination by contacting HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at (800) 669-9777 or visiting How to File a Complaint on HUD’s website. Materials and assistance are available for persons with limited English proficiency. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may contact the Department using the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339.