FAIR HOUSING INITIATIVES PROGRAM PRIVATE ENFORCEMENT INITIATIVE

Congress amended the Fair Housing Act in 1988 to establish the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) to provide funding to entities to work alongside HUD to "prevent or eliminate discriminatory housing practices" 42 USC §3616a (a). Congress determined in 1987, and has affirmed each year since then through appropriations, that HUD can only achieve its fair housing mission and obligations through supporting a network of organizations helping to educate the public and enforce fair housing rights. Initially a demonstration program, Congress made FHIP permanent in 1992 through the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992. The program was expanded in 1992 to address building capacity in unserved areas, establish a national media campaign, and fund a National Fair Housing Month.FHIP provides funds to eligible organizations through competitive grants under four initiatives: the Fair Housing Organizations Initiative (FHOI), the Private Enforcement Initiative (PEI), the Administrative Enforcement Initiative (AEI), and the Education and Outreach Initiative (EOI).This NOFO funds the PEI to provide grants to a nationwide network of eligible private, non-profit fair housing enforcement organizations to conduct testing and investigate violations of and enforce the Fair Housing Act, and State or local laws with equivalent rights and remedies.

To receive an award under this NOFO your organization must be organized as a private, tax-exempt, nonprofit, charitable 501(c) (3) organization currently engaged in complaint intake, complaint investigation, testing for fair housing violations, and enforcement of meritorious claims; and 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 of meritorious claims experience; or a Fair Housing Enforcement Organization (FHO) with at least one year of experience in all of the following fair housing enforcement related activities: complaint intake, complaint investigation, testing for fair housing violations, and enforcement of meritorious claims experience. See 42 U.S.C. §3616a (b) and (h). You must complete Appendix B, Certification for PEI Applicants, to certify QFHO or FHO status. If your organization does not currently qualify as a QFHO or FHO (see 24 CFR §§ 125.103 and 125.401), you may be eligible to apply under the FHIP Education and Outreach Initiative (EOI), or Fair Housing Organizations Initiative (FHOI) NOFOs. Please see each NOFO for specific eligibility requirements. If an applicant applies for both a PEI and FHOI Continuing Development Component grant and receives an award for both, HUD will rescind funding for the FHOI award if the activities for both awards are exactly alike or substantially similar. Co-applicants or members of a consortium are not eligible applicants under this NOFO. Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorship organizations are not eligible to compete for, or receive, awards made under this announcement.