The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is making additional investments in local and national organizations to bolster fair housing efforts. Grants totaling up to $22.2 million were made available to support education, outreach, testing, and enforcement as part of the Biden-Harris administration’s mission to combat racial discrimination and promote equity in housing.

The funds will be provided through the department’s Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP), HUD stated in a release.

“At HUD, one of the cornerstones of our mission is to root out all forms of discrimination in housing so that no one is treated unfairly,” HUD acting Secretary Adrianne Todman said. “To accomplish this mission, we work with local partners from coast to coast. The $22 million we are making available will give even more support to our partners as they enforce the Fair Housing Act.”

The funding will be granted via:

• Education and Outreach Initiative (EOI) – EOI grants (totaling up to $8.35 million) will provide eligible organizations funds to develop, implement, and coordinate education and outreach programs designed to inform the public about their rights and obligations under the provisions of the Fair Housing Act.
• Education and Outreach Initiative – Test Coordinator Training (EOI-TCT) – EOI-TCT grants, totaling up to $500,000 will help eligible organizations support training courses for fair housing testers.
• Fair Housing Organizations Initiative (FHOI) – FHOI grants provide funds to eligible organizations to build their capacity and effectiveness to conduct fair housing enforcement-related activities or to establish and support new organizations to engage in fair housing work, particularly in unserved and underserved jurisdictions. FHIP made $3.7 million available for this purpose.
• Private Enforcement Initiative (PEI) – A total of $9.6 million in PEI grants will be distributed to support eligible organizations’ efforts to conduct testing, investigate violations, and obtain enforcement of federal, state, and local housing rights.

“HUD’s partnership with fair housing organizations is critical to ensuring fair housing awareness and enforcement of our laws,” HUD Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Diane Shelley said. “The grants made possible by this funding will strengthen this partnership and ensure that fair housing reaches all of our communities.”

Interested organizations have until Nov. 19 to apply for funds under EOI, EOI-TCT, and FHOI. Applications for PEI grants are due Nov. 25.