"Qualified fair housing enforcement organization (QFHO) means any organization, whether or not it is solely engaged in fair housing enforcement activities, that—

(1) Is organized as a private, tax-exempt, nonprofit, charitable organization;

(2) Has at least 2 years experience in complaint intake, complaint investigation, testing for fair housing violations and enforcement of meritorious claims; and

(3) Is engaged in complaint intake, complaint investigation, testing for fair housing violations and enforcement of meritorious claims at the time of application for FHIP assistance.

For the purpose of meeting the 2-year qualification period for the activities included in paragraph (2) of this definition, it is not necessary that the activities were conducted simultaneously, as long as each activity was conducted for 2 years. It is also not necessary for the activities to have been conducted for 2 consecutive or continuous years. An organization may aggregate its experience in each activity over the 3 year period preceding its application to meet the 2-year qualification period requirement.

The Department may request an organization to submit documentation to support its claimed status as a QFHO. Some examples of documentation the Department may request are as follows: documentation to prove status as tax-exempt, nonprofit, charitable organization (i.e. 501(c)(3)); organizational Bylaws or incorporation documents detailing your primary purpose to eliminate housing discrimination; records of complaint intake, investigation, fair housing testing, and enforcement over the preceding 2 years."

Acceptable evidence would be any evidence describing the applicant's experience in formulating or carrying out similar programs that rely on transferable skills.

"To be eligble for a PEI award you must be either a: Qualified Fair Housing Enforcement Organization (QFHO) with at least two years of experience in all of the following fair housing enforcement related activities in the three years prior to filing the application hereunder: complaint intake, complaint investigation, testing for fair housing violations, and enforcement related experience of meritorious claims; or a Fair Housing Enforcement Organization (FHO) with at least one year of experience in all of the following fair housing enforcement related activities in the two years prior to filing the application for funding hereunder: complaint intake, complaint investigation, testing for fair housing violations, and enforcement related experience of meritorious claims (Please refer to the NOFO and 42 U.S.C. 3616(a) for more information)"

The Fair Housing Organizations Initiative (FHOI) specifically builds the capacity of these organizations to investigate discrimination, enforce the Fair Housing Act, and expand their services into underserved areas. Through its EOI (Education and Outreach Initiative) award, HUD funds programs which educate the public and housing providers about their rights and obligations under the Fair Housing Act (FHA) to prevent and eliminate housing discrimination. Either of these two initiatives may be approriate for your agency, however, you should read each NOFO carefully to determine the best fit.

FHOI provides funding to help establish new fair housing enforcement organizations or build the capacity of existing organizations. The goal of FHOI is to build the capacity in fair housing to conduct enforcement activities, including investigating, mediating and litigating housing discrimination complaints, as well as testing housing providers for unlawful discrimination.

Yes, you can apply for both the Private Enforcement Initiative (PEI) and Education and Outreach Initiative (EOI) within the same FHIP grant cycle, but you must submit separate, distinct applications for each program area.

Yes, you can apply for both the Private Enforcement Initiative (PEI) and Education and Outreach Initiative (EOI) within the same FHIP grant cycle, but you must submit separate, distinct applications for each program area.

If your organization was included as a subcontractor under a government's fair housing application, that fact alone would not automatically strengthen or weaken a separate application submitted by your organization. The competitiveness of any application would depend on the specific proposal, the scope of work, and how well it addresses the requirements and evaluation criteria in the NOFO.

Directly, no. However, HUD's does offer Partnership Funds directly to Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP) funds to allow an eligible FHAP agency to hire or partner with specialized external entities (which could presumably include FHIP-funded entities) to effectively execute local fair housing laws.

Each NOFO identifies the funding priorities, eligible activities, evaluation criteria, and administrative procedures that HUD will apply to FY 2026 grants.

The FY25-FY26 funding levels are as follows: PEI- $13,546,112; EOI- $10,750,000; FHOI- $50,100,000; AEI- $10,000,000

Please see the "Application Review Information" section of the NOFO for more information on how an application is reviewed.

Please see the "Application Review Information" section of the NOFO for more information on how your application is scored.

Please see the "Application Contents and Format" section of the NOFO for more information on required documents.

Applicants must comply with all laws, regulations, and policies listed in the applicable 2026 NOFO including, but not limited to, 2 CFR 200 and current Executive Orders and administration priorities. Please read the NOFO carefully to determine the necessary requirements.

Yes, a Certification of Consistency with the Consolidated Plan (HUD-2991) is required.

"Yes. HUD does encourage partnership. Partnership is a collaboration with one or more identified agencies, task forces, FHAP organizations, or other groups to successfully realize the service or activity planned. A partnership may be formal and contractual with specific roles and deliverables defined, or less formal cooperation through volunteer efforts accomplished without a contract. In fact, your application may recieve extra points based on your partnership activities. Please read the NOFO carefully to determine the types of partnership activities which may quliafy for preference points. "

You should ensure that all applicable application elements thoroughly document your proposed parnerhsip activities, including, but not limited to your: Statement of Work, Budget, and Narrative section.

HUD encourages applicants from underserved areas to apply. Underserved Areas are areas where there are no FHIP or FHAP agencies and/or where either no public or private fair housing organizations exist, or the jurisdiction is not sufficiently served by one or more public or private fair housing organizations and there is a need for service.

One way to establish local need is by exhibiting that your region is underserved. Underserved Areas are areas where there are no FHIP or FHAP agencies and/or where either no public or private fair housing organizations exist, or the jurisdiction is not sufficiently served by one or more public or private fair housing organizations and there is a need for service.

"The FY2026 competition seeks to identify funding priorities intended to strengthen fair housing education. The Education and Outreach Initiative seeks to: 1. Expand public understanding of rights and responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act; 2. Promote voluntary compliance through education and outreach; 3. Improve access to accurate, accessible fair housing information; 4. Strengthen the capacity of organizations to deliver effective fair housing education; 5. Encourage innovative communications strategies that increase the reach and effectiveness of fair housing education; 6. Foster strategic partnerships that expand educational expertise and community engagement; 7. Develop educational resources that provide continuing public benefit beyond the period of Federal financial assistance; 8. Support a national fair housing education infrastructure capable of responding to emerging challenges and changing communications environments; 9. Increase and/or support compliance with the housing adaptability and accessibility guidelines contained in the FHA. "

"In accordance with 42 U.S.C. 3616(a), to receive an award under this NOFO you must be either a: (1) Qualified Fair Housing Enforcement Organization (QFHO) with at least two years of experience in all of the following fair housing enforcement related activities in the three years prior to filing the application hereunder: complaint intake, complaint investigation, testing for fair housing violations, and enforcement related experience of meritorious claims; or a

(2) Fair Housing Enforcement Organization (FHO) with at least one year of experience in all of the following fair housing enforcement related activities in the two years prior to filing the application for funding hereunder: complaint intake, complaint investigation, testing for fair housing violations, and enforcement related experience of meritorious claims. "

HUD proudly has offered this website containing frequently asked questions, two technical assistance webinars, and brochures designed to raise awareness about the NOFOs. Please send any additional NOFO related questions to [email protected].

For technical assistance with submitting an application, contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726 or 606-545-5035, or via email to [email protected]. The Grants.gov Support Hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except on federal holidays. The Federal Service Desk (FSD) provides support for the System for Award Management - SAM.gov. The FSD is a free technical support service desk for user assistance. Visit FSD.gov to search frequently asked questions, chat live with a support agent, or submit a web form for assistance.

HUD requires recipients to submit performance, financial, and program reports as outlined below. You must comply with these reporting requirements to remain eligible for HUD funding (please see NOFO Section VII (D) POST - AWARD REQUIREMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION (Reporting)).

Project start dates will differ by organization; the actual start date of the project period of performance will be determined through negotiations with HUD.

Although not all complaints will result in a referrral, applicants must describe a referral process that will result in referral of fair housing complaints to HUD or substantially equivalent state, local or other government agencies.

Applicants should describe how proposed outreach activities will be coordinated, where appropriate, with HUD, FHAP agencies, FHIP recipients, and other fair housing stakeholders to avoid duplication and improve consistency of messaging.

All recipients must certify compliance with FHIP Regulation 24 CFR §125.107, when fair housing testing is being performed. Reasonable costs associated with criminal background checks for fair housing testers are an allowable budget expense.

A grantee must only incorporate available public housing within the testing program.