November 14, 2017

Duckworth, Durbin Announce $600,000 to Help Eliminate Housing Discrimination in Chicago

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) announced a total of $600,000 in grant funding under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) to help eliminate housing discrimination in Chicago and assist people who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination.

"Families searching for a new place to live should not have to worry about being denied access to safe housing because of what they look like or where they're from," Duckworth said. "This funding will help community organizations in Chicago continue their work to ensure every family has equal opportunity to rent, buy or finance a safe and affordable home."

"It's unacceptable in this day and age for families and individuals to experience discrimination when it comes to finding housing," Durbin said. "This federal funding will give Chicago organizations much-needed resources to continue their important work ensuring that no one is turned away from a home because of who they are."

Under this announcement, the following organizations will receive funding:
Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Chicago, IL): $300,000
Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago (Chicago, IL): $300,000

The Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago help individuals access the assistance they need from government agencies if they suspect they have been discriminated against while searching for housing. They also evaluate whether properties suspected of engaging in housing discrimination treat equally-qualified individuals differently based upon what they look like.

HUD's Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) provides federal grants to fair housing organizations and other non-profits who partner with HUD in their work to end housing discrimination. The program consists of four different initiatives that assist partner programs in building capacity for enforcement and education, carrying out enforcement activities to prevent discriminatory housing practices, helping the public learn about equal opportunity in housing and helping states and municipalities administer anti-housing discrimination laws.