Project Grant FEOI230058

PURPOSE: PURPOSE DESPITE GREAT STRIDES MADE ON BOTH LOCAL AND NATIONAL FRONTS OVER THE PAST HALF CENTURY SINCE THE PASSAGE OF THE FAIR HOUSING ACT (FHA), HOUSING DISCRIMINATION REMAINS A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN THE GREATER WASHINGTON, DC REGION. THE ERC SEEKS TO USE AN EOI-ARE COMPONENT GRANT TO PROMOTE RACIAL DESEGREGATION, ADVANCE EQUITY AND JUSTICE IN HOUSING, AND TO ADDRESS BARRIERS THAT MAY ARISE WHEN PEOPLE PROTECTED UNDER THE FAIR HOUSING ACT (FHA) EXERCISE THEIR FAIR HOUSING RIGHTS TO EXPAND THEIR HOUSING CHOICE, CONSISTENT WITH THE ACT'S PURPOSE. THESE BARRIERS INCLUDE THE DECREASING AMOUNT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE REGION, DISCRIMINATORY RACE-BASED HARASSMENT BY NEIGHBORS, AND THE OBSTRUCTION OF PERSONS SEEKING TO ENFORCE THEIR FAIR HOUSING RIGHTS.; ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED THE DC REGION IS FACING AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS AND WORSENING NEIGHBORHOOD SEGREGATION. THE ERC WILL PRESENT FAIR HOUSING INFORMATION AT HCVP BRIEFINGS (PROGRAM TASK 5). OVER 90% OF HCVP PARTICIPANTS IN DC ARE BLACK, SO LOCAL DISCRIMINATION AGAINST VOUCHER HOLDERS IS TANTAMOUNT TO RACE DISCRIMINATION AND WORSENS NEIGHBORHOOD SEGREGATION. THE ERC WILL ENSURE VOUCHER HOLDERS CAN IDENTIFY AND REPORT SUCH DISCRIMINATION, WHICH WILL ENCOURAGE COMPLIANCE WITH FAIR HOUSING LAWS AND NEIGHBORHOOD INTEGRATION. THE ERC WILL ALSO FACILITATE FAIR HOUSING TRAINING FOR LOCAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROVIDERS TO FOSTER THEIR COMPLIANCE WITH FAIR HOUSING REQUIREMENTS AND IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR HOUSEHOLDS LIVING IN RECAPS. THE ERC WILL ADVANCE RACIAL EQUITY BY ENCOURAGING SOUND PUBLIC POLICY AND GOVERNMENT ACTION AT THE INTERSECTION OF FAIR HOUSING AND RACIAL EQUITY TO REDUCE SYSTEMIC FAIR HOUSING BARRIERS AND AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHER FAIR HOUSING (AFFH). THE ERC WILL PROVIDE FAIR HOUSING KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE TO THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS (COG) AND PARTICIPATING JURISDICTIONS REGARDING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 2023 WASHINGTON REGIONAL FAIR HOUSING PLAN AND PROMOTE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE REGARDING THEIR PRIORITIES FOR IMPLEMENTATION (PROGRAM TASKS 3-4). ERC WILL ATTEND 10 COALITION MEETINGS WITH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO IDENTIFY POSSIBLE FAIR HOUSING BARRIERS THAT ARE WORSENING RACIAL INEQUITY IN THE REGION (PROGRAM TASK 10). THE ERC WILL TESTIFY TWICE TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACTION AND POLICIES RELATING TO FAIR HOUSING AND INCLUDE A RACIAL EQUITY ANALYSIS (PROGRAM TASK 11). ERC WILL EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON RACIAL EQUITY BARRIERS TO FAIR HOUSING THROUGH A MYRIAD OF STRATEGIES. AS DISCUSSED ABOVE, THE ERC WILL EDUCATE HCVP PARTICIPANTS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROVIDERS. THE ERC WILL ALSO PUBLISH THREE BLOGS TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON FAIR HOUSING POLICIES AND ACTIONS PROPOSED BY LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND THEIR LIKELY EFFECTS ON RACIAL EQUITY (PROGRAM TASK 12). THE BLOGS WILL INCLUDE A DISCUSSION OF HOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES THAT WILL BE MOST IMPACTED BY THE PROPOSALS, CAN WEIGH IN ON THESE GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES. LASTLY, THE ERC WILL PUBLISH A VIDEO ABOUT HOW FHA PROTECTIONS APPLY TO DISCRIMINATORY HARASSMENT, INCLUDING RACE-BASED HARASSMENT BY ONE'S NEIGHBORS (PROGRAM TASK 6- 9).; EXPECTED OUTCOMES: . EXPECTED OUTCOMES ERC'S PROPOSED ACTIVITIES PROMOTE RACIAL DESEGREGATION, ADVANCE EQUITY AND JUSTICE IN HOUSING, AND ADDRESS BARRIERS THAT MAY ARISE WHEN PEOPLE PROTECTED UNDER THE FHA EXERCISE THEIR FAIR HOUSING RIGHTS TO EXPAND THEIR HOUSING CHOICE, CONSISTENT WITH THE ACT'S PURPOSE. THE PROPOSED ACTIVITIES ARE DESIGNED TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THEIR FAIR HOUSING RIGHTS, EQUIPPING UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES WITH THE SKILLS AND RESOURCES NEEDED TO IDENTIFY AND REPORT DISCRIMINATION. THE ACTIVITIES ADDRESS VARIOUS BARRIERS TO RACIAL EQUITY IN HOUSING, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO OPPOSITION TO THE CREATION AND/OR LOCATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, RACE-BASED HARASSMENT BY NEIGHBORS, AND THE OBSTRUCTION OF PERSONS SEEKING TO ENFORCE THEIR FAIR HOUSING RIGHTS. THE ERC WILL COMBAT COMMUNITY OPPOSITION TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING BY PROMOTING THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 2023 WASHINGTON REGIONAL FAIR HOUSING PLAN. IN SERVICE OF THIS GOAL, THE ERC WILL PROVIDE FAIR HOUSING KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE TO THE METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS (COG) AND PARTICIPATING JURISDICTIONS REGARDING IMPLEMENTATION (PROGRAM TASKS 3), PROMOTE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE REGARDING THEIR PRIORITIES FOR IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN (PROGRAM TASK 4), TESTIFY ON PROPOSED LEGISLATION (PROGRAM TASK 11), AND PUBLISH BLOGS TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC (PROGRAM TASK 12). THE ERC WILL ALSO FACILITATE TWO TRAININGS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROVIDERS TO ENCOURAGE FAIR HOUSING COMPLIANCE (PROGRAM TASK 13). ERC WILL EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT FAIR HOUSING PROTECTIONS, ESPECIALLY THOSE RELATED TO DISCRIMINATORY HARASSMENT AND RACE-BASED FAIR HOUSING OBSTACLES, IN ORDER TO ADDRESS BARRIERS RELATED TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC'S LACK OF AWARENESS ABOUT FAIR HOUSING. THE ERC WILL PUBLISH A VIDEO ON FHA PROTECTIONS AGAINST DISCRIMINATORY HARASSMENT (PROGRAM TASKS 6-9) AND PUBLISH 3 BLOGS ON TOPICS AT THE INTERSECTION OF FAIR HOUSING AND RACIAL EQUITY (PROGRAM TASK 12). THE ERC WILL ATTEND 80 HCVP BRIEFINGS AND EDUCATE PARTICIPANTS ABOUT THEIR FHA PROTECTIONS (PROGRAM TASK 5). THE ERC WILL ATTEND 10 COALITION MEETINGS TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL FAIR HOUSING BARRIERS THAT ARE WORSENING RACIAL INEQUITY IN THE REGION (PROGRAM TASK 10). THE ERC HAS A PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF SUCCESS REGARDING THE INTERVENTIONS PROPOSED THROUGH THIS APPLICATION. IN THE LAST YEAR AS PART OF THE ERC'S HUD GRANT ACTIVITIES, THE ERC PRESENTED TO 2,516 VOUCHER HOLDERS AT 130 HCVP BRIEFINGS, TRAINED 138 HOUSING PROFESSIONALS, RECEIVED ABOUT 1,500 BLOG VIEWS, ATTENDED 39 COALITION MEETINGS, SUBMITTED TESTIMONY IN NINE INSTANCES, AND PUBLISHED TWO VIDEOS ON FHA PROTECTIONS. THESE ACTIVITIES REACHED MEMBERS OF ALL PROTECTED CLASSES THROUGHOUT THE ERC'S SERVICE AREA OF WASHINGTON, DC; MARYLAND; NORTHERN VIRGINIA; AND JEFFERSON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA. THE ERC'S EFFORTS REACHED DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS LEAST LIKELY TO BENEFIT ABSENT SUCH EFFORTS, INCLUDING LOW-INCOME, BLACK RENTERS LIVING IN SEGREGATED NEIGHBORHOODS AND RECAPS, RENTERS AND HOMEBUYERS OF COLOR, INDIVIDUALS WITH LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY, LOW-INCOME FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN, RURAL RESIDENTS, AND PERSONS ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY PERSISTENT POVERTY OR INEQUALITY; INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: INTENDED BENEFICIARIES OF THIS PROJECT INCLUDE THE GENERAL PUBLIC, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS, LOCAL GOVERNMENT JURISDICTIONS AND COG, AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROVIDERS, AND ERC MEMBERS. EDUCATION AND OUTREACH TO ALL OF THESE GROUPS WILL FOCUS ON PROMOTING RACIAL DESEGREGATION, ADVANCING EQUITY AND JUSTICE IN HOUSING, AND ADDRESSING BARRIERS THAT MAY ARISE WHEN PEOPLE PROTECTED UNDER THE FHA EXERCISE THEIR FAIR HOUSING RIGHTS TO EXPAND THEIR HOUSING CHOICE, CONSISTENT WITH THE ACT'; SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: NONE