Project Grant FEOI230008

PURPOSE: PURPOSE CALIFORNIA RURAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE, INC. (CRLA), A QUALIFIED FAIR HOUSING ORGANIZATION, IS A STATEWIDE LEGAL SERVICES PROVIDER WITH REGIONAL OFFICES IN RURAL, UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES ACROSS CALIFORNIA. CRLA IS A 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT AND CURRENT FHIP GRANTEE PROVIDING NO-COST LEGAL SERVICES, OUTREACH, AND EDUCATION TO INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED GROUPS. CRLA PROVIDES FAIR HOUSING, FAIR LENDING, AND HOUSING COUNSELING SERVICES TO THOUSANDS OF LOW INCOME PEOPLE ANNUALLY ACROSS MORE THAN 20 COUNTIES. CRLA'S RURAL FAIR HOUSING PROJECT'S OVERARCHING GOAL IS TO IMPROVE HOUSING CHOICE AND STABILITY FOR PROTECTED CLASS MEMBERS IN RURAL CALIFORNIA SERVICE AREAS WHILE ADVANCING RACIAL EQUITY AND AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHERING FAIR HOUSING. THE COMPANION EFFORTS UNDER CRLA'S CURRENT THREE-YEAR PRIVATE ENFORCEMENT INITIATIVE GRANT ARE DESIGNED TO IMPROVE HOUSING CHOICE AND STABILITY FOR PROTECTED CLASS MEMBERS AND ACHIEVE THE LONG-TERM CHANGES SOUGHT BY CRLA (I.E., THE REDUCTION AND EVENTUAL ELIMINATION OF PATTERNS OF DISCRIMINATORY HOUSING AND LENDING AND ABUSIVE LENDING PRACTICES, THE ADVANCEMENT OF RACIAL EQUITY, AND THE AFFIRMATIVE FURTHERING OF FAIR HOUSING IN CRLA'S RURAL CALIFORNIA SERVICE AREAS). THE ENTRY POINT TO CRLA'S INVESTIGATION AND ENFORCEMENT EFFORTS IS A COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY EDUCATION, OUTREACH, AND TRAINING PROGRAM THAT IS BOLSTERED BY A PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN. THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF CRLA'S PROPOSED SCOPE OF WORK UNDER THE FY2023 EDUCATION AND OUTREACH INITIATIVE - GENERAL COMPONENT.; ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: 1) OUTREACH AND EDUCATION, INCLUDING DISTRIBUTING "KNOW YOUR RIGHTS" MATERIALS IN AT LEAST TWO COMMUNITY-APPROPRIATE LANGUAGES IN ADDITION TO ENGLISH, PRODUCING PSAS AND RADIO SPOTS AND TALK SHOWS, AND CONDUCTING HOUSING CONSUMER WORKSHOPS; 2) COMPLIANCE-BASED INFORMATION AND TRAINING FOR HOUSING AND LENDING SERVICE PROVIDERS; 3) EDUCATION FOR HOUSING AND LENDING INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN LOCAL JURISDICTIONS ON FEDERAL LANGUAGE ACCESS OBLIGATIONS AND FAIR HOUSING LAW COMPLIANCE; AND 4) TRAINING FOR PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCIES OR HOUSING AUTHORITIES REGARDING THEIR OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE FHA AND THE MANDATE TO AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHER FAIR HOUSING. SPECIFICALLY, CRLA PROPOSES TO: CONDUCT A LANGUAGE NEEDS ASSESSMENT CONDUCTED FOR TARGET COMMUNITIES; REVISE AND UPDATE OUTREACH AND COMMUNITY LEGAL EDUCATION MATERIALS AS INFORMED BY HUD'S INFORMATION SOURCES; TRANSLATE MATERIALS INTO AT LEAST TWO COMMUNITY-APPROPRIATE LANGUAGES IN ADDITION TO ENGLISH CONDUCT 50 COMMUNITY OUTREACH SESSIONS IN RURAL SERVICE AREAS, REACHING AT LEAST 2,800 POTENTIAL VICTIMS OF DISCRIMINATION IN COMMUNITY-APPROPRIATE LANGUAGES; CONDUCT PUBLIC EDUCATION HOUSING WORKSHOPS, REACHING AT LEAST 270 POTENTIAL VICTIMS OF DISCRIMINATION; PROVIDE INFORMATION ON FAIR HOUSING AND FAIR LENDING PROTECTIONS AND THE MANDATE TO AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHER FAIR HOUSING TO 12 COMMUNITY BENEFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER PARTNER AGENCIES SERVING POTENTIAL VICTIMS OF DISCRIMINATION; PRODUCE CONTENT FOR 6 PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS (PSAS), SECURE HUD REVIEW AND APPROVAL, AND SECURE PRODUCTION AND BROADCAST BY THE MEDIA CONSULTANT, RADIO BILINGUE, IN SPANISH AND OTHER COMMUNITY-APPROPRIATE LANGUAGES; CONDUCT 2 RADIO TALK SHOWS IN SPANISH ADDRESSING FHA PROTECTIONS AND CRLA'S TESTING PROGRAM; APPEAR ON 4 RADIO SPOTS TO ADDRESS FHA PROTECTIONS IN COMMUNITY-APPROPRIATE LANGUAGES; DEVELOP AND DISSEMINATE SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT IN COMMUNITY-APPROPRIATE LANGUAGES; DEVELOP AND DISSEMINATE FAIR HOUSING MONTH CONTENT IN APRIL 2024 VIA ONLINE PLATFORMS; CONDUCT 4 TRAINING PRESENTATIONS FOR HOUSING AND LENDING PROVIDERS, FAIR HOUSING INTEREST GROUPS, HOUSING COUNSELING AGENCIES, OR CBOS TO PROVIDE THESE ORGANIZATIONS WITH COMPLIANCE TRAINING AND EDUCATION ON LANGUAGE-ACCESS OBLIGATIONS; CONDUCT 6 OR MORE MEETINGS WITH LENDING AND/OR HOUSING INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES OR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ON FAIR HOUSING, FAIR LENDING, LANGUAGE ACCESS, AND AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHERING FAIR HOUSING WITHIN LOCAL AND STATE JURISDICTIONS; AND CONDUCT 1 TRAINING PRESENTATION FOR PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCIES OR HOUSING AUTHORITIES REGARDING THEIR OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE FHA AND THE MANDATE TO AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHER FAIR HOUSING.; EXPECTED OUTCOMES: BY CONDUCTING A LANGUAGE NEEDS ASSESSMENT, CRLA WILL DIRECT EFFORTS TO COMBAT THE EFFECTS OF OVERT DISCRIMINATION AND DISPARATE IMPACT ON NONDOMINANT-LANGUAGE USERS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY AND ENSURE THAT FAIR HOUSING AND FAIR LENDING SERVICES ARE MADE AVAILABLE IN COMMUNITY-APPROPRIATE LANGUAGES. BY CONDUCTING OUTREACH SESSIONS AND REACHING POTENTIAL VICTIMS OF DISCRIMINATION THROUGH PUBLIC EDUCATION HOUSING WORKSHOPS, IN ADDITION TO DISTRIBUTING UPDATED INFORMATION ON FAIR HOUSING AND LENDING PROTECTIONS TO COMMUNITY BENEFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND "KNOW YOUR RIGHTS" MATERIALS IN ENGLISH AND AT LEAST TWO OTHER COMMUNITY-APPROPRIATE LANGUAGES, CRLA'S PLANNED ACTIVITIES WILL HELP LOW-INCOME HOUSING AND LENDING CONSUMERS BRIDGE THE INFORMATION GAP, INCREASE THEIR AWARENESS OF THE FAIR HOUSING ACT AND IMPROVE BASIC FINANCIAL LITERACY, AND BETTER UNDERSTAND DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES, THEIR RIGHTS, AND THEIR LEGAL PROTECTIONS UNDER THE FHA AND SUBSTANTIALLY EQUIVALENT STATE AND LOCAL FAIR HOUSING LAWS. THROUGH THE PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN, IMPLEMENTED IN COLLABORATION WITH RADIO BILINGUE, ISOLATED AND HARD-TO-REACH LISTENERS WILL RECEIVE LINGUISTICALLY APPROPRIATE INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR RIGHTS UNDER THE FHA. VIA CRLA'S SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS (INCLUDING FACEBOOK, LINKEDIN, TWITTER, CRLA'S WEBSITE, AND VIA E-BLASTS) PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE OF DISCRIMINATORY HOUSING AND ABUSIVE LENDING PRACTICES WILL BE EXPANDED, AS WILL RIGHTS UNDER THE FHA AND SUBSTANTIALLY EQUIVALENT STATE AND LOCAL FAIR HOUSING LAWS. PEOPLE WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY, NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS, AND ISOLATED HOUSEHOLDS WILL BE REACHED TO BRING FORWARD POTENTIAL FAIR HOUSING COMPLAINTS FROM HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES, HELPING TO ADVANCE RACIAL EQUITY. BY PROVIDING COMPLIANCE-BASED INFORMATION AND TRAINING FOR HOUSING AND LENDING SERVICE PROVIDER ORGANIZATIONS, AGENCIES, AND EMPLOYEES, CRLA WILL EXPAND THESE PARTIES' UNDERSTANDING OF LEGAL OBLIGATIONS UNDER STATE AND FEDERAL FAIR HOUSING AND LENDING LAWS, THE MANDATE TO AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHER FAIR HOUSING, AND FEDERAL OBLIGATIONS TO PROVIDE MEANINGFUL ACCESS TO HOUSING AND LENDING SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY. THIS WILL ALSO INCREASE COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW. BY MEETING WITH HOUSING AND/OR LENDING INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES OR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS REGARDING FAIR HOUSING OR LENDING AND LANGUAGE ACCESS ISSUES AND INFORMING THEM OF PATTERNS OF HOUSING DISCRIMINATION OR ABUSIVE LENDING PRACTICES IN VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AND THE MANDATE TO AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHER FAIR HOUSING, CRLA WILL FOSTER INCREASED ACCESS TO HOUSING CHOICE AND FAIR LENDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROTECTED CLASS MEMBERS THROUGH INCREASED LEGAL COMPLIANCE; INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: CRLA'S HOUSING DISCRIMINATION WORK FOCUSES ON UNDERSERVED RURAL REGIONS WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION'S PREDOMINANTLY RURAL SERVICE AREA, WHERE LARGE NUMBERS OF RACIAL, ETHNIC, AND LINGUISTIC MINORITIES AND OTHER UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS CONTINUE TO BE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY DISCRIMINATORY HOUSING AND ABUSIVE LENDING PRACTICES IN VIOLATION OF THE FHA. CRLA'S CLIENT COMMUNICATES ARE IN PARTICULAR NEED OF CULTURALLY, LINGUISTICALLY, AND RESPONSIVE APPROACHES TO FAIR HOUSING EDUCATION, OUTREACH, AND DIRECT SERVICES. THIS WILL HELP TO OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES OF REACHING UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS VULNERABLE TO DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES. CRLA'S RURAL FAIR HOUSING PROJECT WILL BENEFIT ALL PROTECTED CLASS MEMBERS, INCLUDING PEOPLE WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY, NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS, LINGUISTICALLY ISOLATED HOUSEHOLDS, IMMIGRANTS, INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS, AND MINORITIES, ALONG WITH LGBTQ+ PERSONS, FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN, FARMWORKERS, AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. THESE ARE HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED AND VULNERABLE GROUPS. THEREFORE, CRLA TARGETS THEM FOR COMMUNITY EDUCATION, OUTREACH, AND TRAINING ACTIVITIES TO HELP BRIDGE THIS GAP.; SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: NONE