Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP)

HUD provides grants through FHIP to organizations that work on fair housing issues.

FHIP Organizations

What Is the Fair Housing Initiatives Program?

Fair housing organizations and other non-profits that receive funding through the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) 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.

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.

Initiatives

FHIP has four initiatives. Three currently provide funds, through competitive grants, to eligible organizations. The initiatives are:

The Fair Housing Organizations Initiative (FHOI) provides funding that builds the capacity and effectiveness of non-profit fair housing organizations by providing funds to handle fair housing enforcement and education initiatives more effectively. FHOI also strengthens the fair housing movement nationally by encouraging the creation and growth of organizations that focus on the rights and needs of underserved groups, particularly persons with disabilities.
The Private Enforcement Initiative (PEI) offers a range of assistance to the nationwide network of fair housing groups. This initiative funds non-profit fair housing organizations to carry out testing and enforcement activities to prevent or eliminate discriminatory housing practices.
The Education and Outreach Initiative (EOI) offers a comprehensive range of support for fair housing activities, providing funding to State and local government agencies and non-profit organizations for initiatives that educate the public and housing providers about equal opportunity in housing and compliance with the fair housing laws.
The Administrative Enforcement Initiative (AEI) helps state and local governments that administer laws that include rights and remedies similar to those in the Fair Housing Act. This initiative also helps implement specialized projects that broaden an agency's range of enforcement and compliance activities. No funds are available currently for this program.

Eligible Grantees:

FHOI: Applicants must be qualified fair housing enforcement organizations with at least two years of experience in complaint intake, complaint investigation, testing for fair housing violations, and a record of meritorious claims in the three years prior to the filing of their application.
PEI: Applicants must be organizations with experience providing quality fair housing enforcement activities.
EOI: Applicants are state or local governments, qualified fair housing enforcement organizations with at least 2 years of experience, and other public or private nonprofit organizations representing individuals who have been victims of housing discrimination.