The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded $125,000 Education and Outreach Initiative (EOI) grant to Greenville County Human Relations Commission to assist people who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination.

Nationally, HUD awarded $28 million. The grants announced today 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.

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

“The Obama Administration is committed to ending housing discrimination, and these grants enable local fair housing and community organizations all over the nation to help HUD enforce the Fair Housing Act, and make people more aware of their fair housing rights,” stated HUD Southeast Regional Administrator Ed Jennings, Jr.

The categories of grants awarded today are:

Private Enforcement Initiative grants (PEI)– HUD awarded $17.5 million to help groups investigate alleged housing discrimination, and enforce the Fair Housing Act and state and local laws that are substantially equivalent to the Act.

Education and Outreach Initiative grants (EOI)– HUD awarded $4.6 million to groups that educate the public and housing providers about their rights and obligations under federal, state, and local fair housing laws.

Fair Housing Organizations Initiative (FHOI) – HUD awarded $5.9 million to groups that serve rural and immigrant populations in areas where there currently is no existing fair housing organization, or are otherwise underserved.
FHEO and its partners in the Fair Housing Assistance Program investigate more than 10,000 housing discrimination complaints annually. People who believe they are the victims of housing discrimination should contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777 (voice), or (800) 927-9275 (TTY).