WASHINGTON – 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 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.