Advocacy Team
Take Action: HUD is delaying release of Fair Housing Initiatives Program funding
Dear Access Living friends and allies,
Since the day Access Living opened, one of the most important needs we have seen in the disability community is the need for affordable, accessible, integrated housing. We also know that this kind of housing does not just magically appear: every day, we fight housing discrimination against people with disabilities. One of the most important ways we do this is through our fair housing legal action and fair housing testing.
Access Living, and a host of other organizations nationwide, relies on federal funding from the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP), which is run by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). With FHIP funding, Access Living has the ability to take legal action to protect the disability rights of tenants, and to run a disability fair housing testing program to uncover discrimination by landlords.
Right now, HUD is delaying the release of an opportunity to continue funding for the FHIP program. Grantees like Access Living are facing a potential crisis if this opportunity is not made available soon. Because of the current delays in getting what is known as the Fiscal Year 19 (FY19) Notice of Funding Available (NOFA) out, nearly a third of all FHIP grantees will experience a significant gap in funding.
Advocates are pressing HUD and asking Congress to weigh in, but we need you to help us keep the pressure on.
You can help by sending a quick message to your members of Congress to ask them for help getting HUD to release the NOFA. Here is a quick action link to contact Congress.
You can also call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121) and ask to be connected to your Senators and Representatives. Ask to speak to the staffer who handles housing or appropriations. If you are sent to voicemail, please leave a detailed message and follow up with an email. Use the short talking points below.
Talking Points:
- Hello, my name is __ and I am a disability advocate.
- People with disabilities are among the groups that experience the highest rates of housing discrimination.
- It is important to have strong programs like the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) run by HUD
- However, HUD is taking too long to release a funding opportunity for fair housing programs, and it currently has 22 other grant opportunities open
- This is putting fair housing programs at risk of a serious funding shortfall
- Please ask your boss to ask HUD to release the FY19 FHIP NOFA and to ask why it has not been released yet.
- People with disabilities need protection from fair housing discrimination. Thank you.