Applications Due: August 26, 2015, 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time
Description: The Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) provides funding to fair housing organizations and other non-profits that assist individuals who believe that they have been victims of housing discrimination. Currently FHIP provides funds to eligible organizations through competitive grants under three initiatives to carry out enforcement activities to prevent or eliminate discriminatory housing practices and inform individuals of their rights and responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act. The Initiatives are:
1. Private Enforcement Initiative (PEI).This Initiative provides funding to private, non-profit fair housing enforcement organizations that meet statutory requirements to conduct investigation and enforcement of alleged violations of the Fair Housing Act.
2. Fair Housing Organization Initiative (FHOI). This Initiative provides funding to establish new fair housing enforcement organizations and to support the continued existence of fair housing organizations in building their capacity to enforce the prohibitions on discrimination set forth in the Fair Housing Act.
3. Education and Outreach Initiative (EOI). This Initiative provides funding to organizations that inform the general public about their rights and obligations under the Fair Housing Act.
Funding Title: Fair Housing Initiatives Program
Agency Name: Department of Housing and Urban Development
Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement or Grant
Express Language for Legal Aid: Yes. For example, under the Private Enforcement Initiative:
“Eligible activities include, but are not limited to: (1) Intake of allegations of housing discrimination, testing, evaluating testing results, and providing other investigative work to provide a just resolution for discrimination that may violate federal, state or substantially equivalent local fair housing laws; (2) investigation of discrimination, through testing and other investigative methods including systemic investigations; (3) Mediation or other voluntary resolution of allegations of fair housing; (4) litigating fair housing cases, including procuring expert witnesses, and (5) conducting fair housing education activities. Activities are eligible only in cases involving conduct prohibited by, or rights protected under, the Fair Housing Act.
Target Population: People who have been victims of housing discrimination
Expected Number of Awards: 50
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No
How to Apply: An electronic copy of the Application Package and Application Instructions for this NOFA can be downloaded from Grants.gov at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply-for-grants.html. Unless an applicant received a waiver for good cause, applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov except Continuum of Care applications. The Continuum of Care application is submitted through HUD’s e-snaps system.
Current Closing Date for Applications: August 26, 2015, 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time
Estimated Total Program Funding: $39,200,000 total, which includes:
Private Enforcement Initiative (PEI) – $29,275,000
Education and Outreach Initiative (EOI) – $3,500,000
Fair Housing Organization Initiative (FHOI) – $6,425,000
Award Ceiling: $1,000,000 per project period
Award Floor: $325,000 per project period
Eligible Applicants: Depending on the component, eligible applicants may be Qualified Fair Housing Enforcement Organizations (QFHOs) and Fair Housing Enforcement Organizations (FHOs), public or private not-for-profit organizations or institutions, and other public or private entities that are formulating or carrying out programs to prevent or eliminate discriminatory housing practices; agencies of State or local governments; and agencies that participate in the Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP).
Priority Consideration:
Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (Planning NOFA or as specified in Individual Program NOFA)
Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (Counseling NOFA or as specified in Individual Program NOFA)
Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (Technical Assistance NOFA or as Specified in Individual Program NOFA)
Policy and Regulations on Use of Funds: See http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=2015fhipnofa.pdf
Current/Past Funding Recipients: 2013 2014
Samples of Successful Application:
2009 (for Education and Outreach Initiative) part 1, part 2
2009 (for Private Enforcement Initiative) part1, part2
Link to Full Announcement: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=2015fhipnofa.pdf
Contact Information:
You may contact Myron P. Newry or Paula Stone of the Office of Fair Housing and Equall Opporttuniitty’s FHIP Division, at 202-402-7095, or 202-402-7054, respectively (these are not toll-free numbers). Persons with hearing or speech impairments may contact the Division by calling (800) 290-1617 (this is a toll-free number).
Questions concerning the General Section should be directed to the Office of Strategic Planning and Management, Grants Management and Oversight Division at 202-708-0667 (this is not a toll-free number).
Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access these numbers via TTY by calling the toll-free Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339.
Categories: Express Language for Legal Aid, Government Organizations, Housing, Housing and Urban Development, Non-profit Organizations, Subgrant Possibilities
Civil Legal Aid Federal Funding Resources 
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