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Kaptur Announces $425,000 in Federal Funds for Toledo’s Fair
Housing Center
Funds will be used to strengthen efforts to prevent and
eliminate housing discrimination in Toledo
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur
(OH-09), senior member of the House Appropriations
Committee, last week announced $425,000 in federal funds for
The Fair Housing Center in Toledo to strengthen its work to
prevent and eliminate housing discrimination. The funds were
allocated through the Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP),
which funds fair housing organizations and other nonprofits
that assist individuals who believe that they have been
victims of housing discrimination.
Of the $425,000, $300,000
will be used to open a minimum of 80 new complaint-based and
systemic housing discrimination cases, while assisting over
600 complainants, and providing over 800 referrals to other
agencies; conduct over 24 case review meetings; coordinate,
execute, and evaluate a minimum of 48 tests; recruit and
train new testers; conduct a minimum of two refresher
trainings for veteran testers; conduct onsite accessibility
visits/audits; resolve a minimum of 25 housing
discrimination complaints and other alleged violations of
fair housing laws; and conduct various enforcement related
and educational and outreach activities.
The remaining $125,000 will be used to conduct several
outreach events, including producing and distributing an
educational video that will illustrate the impact of Zip
Code on life outcomes. Upon completion, the organization
will host a premier featuring a screening and panel
discussion to raise awareness of the connection between
place and opportunity. The organization will also use
advertisements to educate the public and housing
professionals about fair housing rights and
responsibilities, and develop new printed material and a
webinar to educate the public about fair housing rights for
people with disabilities.
“I am so grateful for the
important work The Fair Housing Center carries out on a
daily basis to prevent and eliminate housing discrimination
in our community,” said Rep. Kaptur. “Discriminatory housing
practices continue to be a barrier for many who seek
housing. Thankfully, The Fair Housing Center has been there
to educate housing providers, provide resources to
individuals who’ve faced housing discrimination, and hold
bad actors accountable when necessary. At a time of immense
economic and social upheaval related to the global
coronavirus pandemic, the work of the Fair Housing Center is
as important as ever. Thank you to the Fair Housing Center
for their unwavering dedication and service to the Toledo
community.”
“The Fair Housing Center is
grateful that HUD announced these awards in the midst of a
national health crisis so that we can continue providing
vital resources to our community,” said Marie Flannery,
president and CEO of The Fair Housing Center. “Now more than
ever, it is essential that all people are able to access
safe and stable housing, free from discrimination and other
barriers. We appreciate the support of Congresswoman Kaptur
and other leaders in Congress who have fought to preserve
this grant program, which has served as a critical funding
source for us and many other fair housing organizations
across the country. The funding provided through these
grants allows us to continue our work addressing and
preventing discriminatory practices, in order to create more
inclusive, vibrant neighborhoods of opportunity for all.”
Fair housing organizations
and other non-profits that receive funding through the Fair
Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP), such as The Fair Housing
Center, assist people who believe they have been victims of
housing discrimination.
FHIP organizations partner
with HUD to help people identify government agencies that
handle complaints of housing discrimination. They also
conduct preliminary investigation of claims, including
sending "testers" to properties suspected of practicing
housing discrimination. Testers are minorities and whites
with the same financial qualifications who evaluate whether
housing providers treat equally-qualified people
differently.
In addition to funding
organizations that provide direct assistance to individuals
who feel they have been discriminated against while
attempting to purchase or rent housing, FHIP also has
initiatives that promote fair housing laws and equal housing
opportunity awareness.
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