Tacoma group awarded HUD fair-housing grant

Tacoma-based Fair Housing Center of Washington and Spokane’s Northwest Fair Housing Alliance were two of the national organizations awarded grants by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban to assist people who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination.

The HUD grants will help groups investigate alleged housing discrimination, educate the public and housing providers about their rights and obligations under federal, state, and local fair housing laws, and establish contacts in rural areas that serve immigrant populations.

The grants, totaling $28 million, are funded through HUD’s Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) and will be used to investigate allegations of housing discrimination, and work to promote equal housing opportunities.

“Last year, HUD filed more Fair Housing Act charges than any year since 2002,” said John Trasvina, HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity. “The Fair Housing Initiatives Program grantees play a vital role to enhance our civil rights law enforcement efforts.”