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On November 19, HOME
learned that its most recent application for funding under HUD’s highly
competitive Fair Housing Initiatives Program had met with success. HOME
will receive $247,000 in federal support to conduct an 18-month project
aimed at increasing compliance with federal fair housing laws.
This significant
federal grant will permit HOME to conduct educational presentations for
new immigrant populations, with special emphasis on victims of
discrimination suffered in the wake of the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks. In
addition, HOME will, in collaboration with the Western New York Chapter of
the American Muslim Council, publish a bilingual fair housing brochure in
English and Arabic.
This HUD funding will
also support HOME’s extensive testing program, which includes both
investigation of reported incidents of discrimination and systemic
investigations of significant housing providers in the Buffalo-Niagara
region. HUD support also funds HOME basic program of assistance to
victims of discrimination.
FHIP is one of the
three financial legs on which HOME stands. While the agency has achieved
a remarkably high rate success in winning support since 1990—just as HOME
has fulfilled or exceeded each and every contract objective during 11
years of federal funding—FHIP support is not a given. A single
unsuccessful funding proposal can have a devastating impact on fair
housing in Western New York.
In announcing the
grant, HOME Executive Director Scott W. Gehl acknowledged support received
from the City of Buffalo, the towns of Hamburg and Amherst, and the County
of Erie (on behalf of the 34 municipalities of the CDBG Consortium). “We
must also thank our friends at HUD, who have again recognized HOME’s good
work and supported continuation of our long collaboration.” |
