The purpose of complaint processing funds (CP) is to financially assist fair housing assistance program (FHAP) participating agencies who have been in the program and that have received CP funds for…

The Department of Housing and Urban Development Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity awarded a cooperative agreement totaling $4,173,586.53 to the Civil Rights Department on October 1, 2025, under the Fair Housing Assistance Program (CFDA 14.401).

The Civil Rights Department, a California state government entity based in Sacramento, receives funding to process housing discrimination complaints filed under the Fair Housing Act. The agency processes complaints and logs each case into HUD's Enforcement Management System (HEMS) for evaluation against performance standards set in 24 CFR 115.206 and the cooperative agreement. The funding amount is calculated based on the number of complaints the agency processed and accepted for payment by the Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity regional office during the 12-month performance period preceding the award. The regional office determines whether cases meet acceptable processing requirements enumerated in the cooperative agreement, its appendices, and the Memorandum of Understanding between HUD and the agency.

The period of performance runs from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. FHAP is a reimbursement program; funds are obligated after regional monitors review processed complaints for the performance period, and the cooperative agreement is executed once both the agency and the region director sign off. This is the Civil Rights Department's child award under FHAP, reflecting its participation as a certified state fair housing enforcement agency substantially equivalent to federal Fair Housing Act standards.

Activities

Agencies receiving CP funds will receive such support based solely on the number of complaints processed by the agency and accepted for payment by the fair housing and equal opportunity (FHEO) regional office during a consecutive, specifically identified, 12-month period. The 12-month period will be identified in the cooperative agreement between HUD and the agency. Funding and distribution amount is based on funding availability. The FHEO regional office determines whether or not cases are acceptably processed based on requirements enumerated in the cooperative agreement and its attachments/appendices, performance standards set forth in 24 CFR 115.206, and provisions of the interim agreement or memorandum of understanding (MOU). The scope of activities is detailed in criteria for processing, which is made available to all participating agencies. Each case processed by the agency is logged into HUD's case management system HUD enforcement management system (HEMS), because each complaint involves personally identifiable information (PII) this information is not publicly shared. However, the information gathered and collected in HEMS is used to evaluate the performance of each fhap agency during the performance assessment report (PAR). CP funds are awarded to eligible agencies at the conclusion of the case processing period, and compensation is based on the number and types of case closures, based on rates outlined in the annual cooperative agreement.

Expected outcomes

The outcomes from use of this funds will amplify the resources available to fair housing enforcement partners and assist the agency in proper case management of fair housing complaints that are cognizable under the fair housing act. Each participating fhap agency is evaluated every two years through a performance assessment report. This report quantifies fhap performance per required measurable outcomes outlined in the cooperative agreement, the annual fhap guidance package which includes the criteria for processing outlined above and regulatory requirements under C.F.R. § 115.306. Fhap agencies that do not meet the minimum required outcomes may be placed on a performance improvement plan (PIP) which details the required improvement and timeline for remediation. The information gathered by the PAR and PIP is reported back to the fhap participating agency as an internal report not to be distributed publicly. Information relating to outcomes of the investigations is available in the annual reports to congress available at: https://WWW.HUD.GOV/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_OPP/annualreport

Intended beneficiaries

Any person or group of persons aggrieved by a discriminatory housing practice because of race, color, religion, SEX, disability, familial status, or national origin. IT also includes organizations (e.g., fair housing advocacy groups) that have suffered an injury as a result of discriminatory housing practices.

Subrecipient activities

The recipient does not intend to subaward funds.