Funds will support the efforts of fair housing enforcement organizations
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that it is providing $13.6 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding to enable 51 HUD Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) agencies to conduct a range of fair housing enforcement and education and outreach activities related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the activities that will be conducted by the organizations is addressing discriminatory practices in underserved communities.
“Discriminatory policies have no place in a nation struggling to deal with the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Demetria McCain, HUD’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “The funds being provided today highlight HUD’s commitment to supporting the efforts of our many partners working to combat unlawful practices that jeopardize a family’s housing security.”
The funds, which are being awarded under FHIP’s Private Enforcement Initiative (PEI) component, are the first ARP competitive grants in FHEO that focus directly on the unequal impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on communities of color, low-income communities, and other vulnerable populations. Specific activities that will be carried out include responding to housing inquiries, investigating fair housing complaints, conducting fair housing testing, providing legal assistance, conducting education and outreach, and covering costs associated with providing services related to the pandemic.
Another $5,757,663 in ARP funding will be made available to eligible applicants that did not receive funding in this first round.
The following organizations are receiving funding:
2021 FHIP PEI-ARP AWARD WINNERS
| State | Recipient | Grant Type | Amount |
| Alaska | Alaska Legal Services Corporation | PEI-ARP | $75,000 |
| Arkansas | Legal Aid of Arkansas, Inc. | PEI-ARP | $350,000 |
| Arizona | Southwest Fair Housing Council | PEI-ARP | $350,000 |
| California | Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc. | PEI-ARP | $350,000 |
| Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California | PEI-ARP | $350,000 | |
| California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. | PEI-ARP | $350,000 | |
| Fair Housing Council of Riverside County, Inc. | PEI-ARP | $350,000 | |
| Inland Fair Housing and Mediation Board | PEI-ARP | $350,000 | |
| Connecticut | Connecticut Fair Housing Center | PEI-ARP | $350,000 |
| District of Columbia | National Fair Housing Alliance | PEI-ARP | $350,000 |
| Equal Rights Center | PEI-ARP | $350,000 | |
| National Community Reinvestment Coalition | PEI-ARP | $346,819 | |
| Florida | Housing Opportunities Project for Excellence (HOPE), Inc. | PEI-ARP | $350,000 |
| Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida, Inc. | PEI-ARP | $350,000 | |
| Georgia | JC Vision and Associates Inc | PEI-ARP | $75,000 |
| Hawaii | Legal Aid Society of Hawaii | PEI-ARP | $350,000 |
| Idaho | Intermountain Fair Housing Council, Inc | PEI-ARP | $124,993 |
| Illinois | South Suburban Housing Center | PEI-ARP | $350,000 |
| H.O.P.E. Inc d/b/a HOPE Fair Housing Center | PEI-ARP | $125,000 | |
| Open Communities | PEI-ARP | $218,353 | |
| The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois | PEI-ARP | $348,986 | |
| Indiana | Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana, Inc. | PEI-ARP | $125,000 |
| Massachusetts | Community Legal Aid, Inc. | PEI-ARP | $350,000 |
| Suffolk University | PEI-ARP | $349,966 | |
| Michigan | Fair Housing Center of Southwest Michigan | PEI-ARP | $124,974 |
| Legal Services of Eastern Michigan | PEI-ARP | $350,000 | |
| Minnesota | Mid-Minnesota Legal Assistance | PEI-ARP | $350,000 |
| Mississippi | Mississippi Center for Justice | PEI-ARP | $350,000 |
| Missouri | Metropolitan St. Louis Equal Housing and Opportunity Council | PEI-ARP | $350,000 |
| North Carolina | Legal Aid of North Carolina, Inc. | PEI-ARP | $350,000 |
| North Dakota | High Plains Fair Housing Center | PEI-ARP | $75,000 |
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire Legal Assistance | PEI-ARP | $333,907 |
| New Jersey | Fair Housing Council of Northern New Jersey | PEI-ARP | $125,000 |
| Nevada | Silver State Fair Housing Council | PEI-ARP | $125,000 |
| New York | Long Island Housing Services, Inc. | PEI-ARP | $350,000 |
| Westchester Residential Opportunities, Inc. | PEI-ARP | $350,000 | |
| Fair Housing Justice Center, Inc. | PEI-ARP | $350,000 | |
| Housing Opportunities Made Equal, Inc. | PEI-ARP | $350,000 | |
| Brooklyn Legal Services | PEI-ARP | $350,000 | |
| Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. | PEI-ARP | $350,000 | |
| CNY Fair Housing, Inc. | PEI-ARP | $125,000 | |
| Ohio | Fair Housing Opportunities of Northwest Ohio, Inc. | PEI-ARP | $349,983 |
| Fair Housing Contact Service, Inc. | PEI-ARP | $125,000 | |
| Fair Housing Resource Center | PEI-ARP | $125,000 | |
| Ohio State Legal Services Association | PEI-ARP | $317,447 | |
| Housing Research & Advocacy Center | PEI-ARP | $125,000 | |
| Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Greater Cincinnati, Inc. | PEI-ARP | $150,000 | |
| Pennsylvania | Fair Housing Partnership of Greater Pittsburgh | PEI-ARP | $125,000 |
| Fair Housing Rights Center in Southeastern PA | PEI-ARP | $75,000 | |
| Washington | Northwest Fair Housing Alliance | PEI-ARP | $103,973 |
| Wisconsin | Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council | PEI-ARP | $347,935 |
| TOTAL | $13,642,337 |
People who believe they have experienced discrimination may file a complaint by contacting HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at (800) 669-9777 (voice) or (800) 877-8339 (Relay). Housing discrimination complaints may also be filed by going to hud.gov/fairhousing.