Project Grant FPEI230098

PURPOSE: PURPOSE SOUTH SUBURBAN HOUSING CENTER (SSHC) IS THE NON-PROFIT QUALIFIED FAIR HOUSING ORGANIZATION SERVING OVER 100 MUNICIPALITIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE SOUTH CHICAGO METROPOLITAN REGION FOR THE LAST 48 YEARS AS WELL AS UNDERSERVED AREAS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA; ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED IMPLEMENT A COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL SYSTEMIC AND COMPLAINT-BASED TESTING PROGRAM STRATEGY-DEVELOPED ANNUALLY WITH TESTING METHODOLOGIES COVERING ALL ASPECTS OF THE HOUSING AND MORTGAGE MARKETS AND INCLUDING RECOMMENDATIONS ON INCREASED SYSTEMIC RACE/SOURCE OF INCOME AND RACE/CRIMINAL HISTORY TESTING. RECEIVE AN ESTIMATED 200 INTAKES ANNUALLY OF FAIR HOUSING COMPLAINT INQUIRIES FIELDED FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND REFERRALS FROM PARTNERING ORGANIZATIONS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. CONDUCT 110 TEST PART INVESTIGATIONS ANNUALLY, WITH APPROXIMATELY 82 (75%) CONDUCTED IN THE PRIMARY SERVICE AREA AND 28 (25%) CONDUCTED IN UNDERSERVED AREAS ANNUALLY MONITORING RENTAL, SALES/NEW CONSTRUCTION, ACCESSIBLE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS, MORTGAGE LENDING, HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE, APPRAISAL, AND REAL ESTATE ASSESSMENT ISSUES. INITIATE 15 SYSTEMIC INVESTIGATIONS ANNUALLY FROM NEWLY IDENTIFIED SITES, FOLLOW-UP INVESTIGATIONS, AND OTHER INFORMATION OBTAINED FOR THE TESTING STRATEGY. THESE INVESTIGATIONS WILL INVOLVE COMPLEX MULTIPLE TEST PARTS OR SITE VISITS CONDUCTED BY SSHC ON A HOUSING PROVIDER, LENDER, NEW MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENT, HOMEOWNERS' INSURER, APPRAISER, OR ASSESSOR. PROVIDE HOUSING STABILITY ASSISTANCE FAIR HOUSING TRIAGE TO 40 DISTRESSED HOMEOWNER/RENTER FAMILIES FACING FORECLOSURE/EVICTION LIVING IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, ANNUALLY RESULTING IN AT LEAST 12 REFERRALS FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION. CONDUCT 60 TARGETED NON-TEST INVESTIGATIONS ANNUALLY INCLUDING SITE INSPECTIONS, PROPERTY TITLE AND TAX SEARCHES, MORTGAGE DOCUMENT REVIEW, WITNESS INTERVIEWS, MONITORING OF ADVERTISEMENTS AND OTHER INVESTIGATIVE MEANS. FILE AN ESTIMATED 5 FAIR HOUSING COMPLAINTS WITH HUD OR OTHER LOCAL FHAP AND ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCIES ANNUALLY AS WELL AS FEDERAL OR STATE COURT COMPLAINTS. MEDIATE, CONCILIATE, SETTLE, OR OTHERWISE SUCCESSFULLY RESOLVE 12 FAIR HOUSING VIOLATION CASES ANNUALLY; EXPECTED OUTCOMES: EXPECTED OUTCOMES MAXIMIZE THE NUMBER OF MORTGAGE- AND RENTAL-DISTRESSED FAMILIES IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR ENFORCING THEIR FAIR HOUSING RIGHTS AND ADDRESSING THEIR HOUSING INSTABILITY RESULTING FROM DISCRIMINATION RELATED TO HISTORIC HOUSING SEGREGATION AND SLOW RECOVERY FROM PANDEMIC CAUSED ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS. INCREASE ABILITY TO INVESTIGATE AND ACT ON FAIR HOUSING VIOLATION CLAIMS BROUGHT UNDER NEW LOCAL SOURCE OF INCOME AND CRIMINAL HISTORY PROTECTIONS AS WELL AS APPRAISAL BIAS AND REAL ESTATE ASSESSMENT BIAS WHICH ALSO DISPARATELY IMPACTS INDIVIDUALS BASED ON THEIR RACE AND NATIONAL ORIGIN. CONDUCT A LARGER VARIETY OF COMPLEX SYSTEMIC INVESTIGATIONS, INVOLVING THE MONITORING OF MORTGAGE LENDERS, APPRAISERS, AND LARGE HOUSING PROVIDERS, PARTICULARLY INVOLVING EMERGING NEW PROTECTIONS AND IMPACTS OF ADVERSE TREATMENT OF SENIORS WITH DISABILITIES AND OTHER VULNERABLE PROTECTED CLASS GROUPS. PROMOTION OF RACIAL EQUITY BY ADDRESSING THE STABILIZATION OF HOUSING, PRESERVING AND INCREASING HOMEOWNERSHIP AND HOUSING VALUES, WHICH WILL RESULT IN A DECREASE IN THE RACIAL WEALTH GAP IN THIS PROJECT AREA. CONTINUE AND GROW PARTNERSHIP COLLABORATIONS BETWEEN SSHC AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, HOUSING PROVIDERS, LENDERS, AND HOUSING ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS TO FOCUS COLLECTIVE RESOURCES ON RECOVERY EFFORTS IN OUR DISTRESSED COMMUNITIES THROUGH AFFH EFFORTS.; INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: INTENDED BENEFICIARIES SSHC'S PRIMARY SERVICE AREA CONSISTS OF 62 COMMUNITIES DIRECTLY SOUTH OF CHICAGO, WHICH ARE BOTH RACIALLY DIVERSE YET SEGREGATED AND INSTABLE. SSHC'S EXTENDED SERVICE AREA INCLUDES AREAS OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO'S FAR SOUTHSIDE, CENTRAL ILLINOIS, AND NORTHWEST INDIANA. THIS ENTIRE SERVICE REGION HAS APPROXIMATELY 3.2 MILLION RESIDENTS. WHILE BENEFICIARIES FOR THIS PROPOSED PROJECT WILL REPRESENT ALL FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL PROTECTED CLASSES, ACTIVITIES WILL REACH COMMUNITIES OF COLOR DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY CURRENT VOLATILE HOUSING MARKET CONDITIONS AND THE ONGOING IMPACT OF RACIAL SEGREGATION AND SYSTEMIC HOUSING DISCRIMINATION. THERE WILL BE A RENEWED FOCUS ON SOURCE OF INCOME VIOLATIONS, AS PROTECTIONS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN ADDED FOR RENTERS IN THE STATE OF ILLINOIS USING HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHERS, DISABILITY/SOCIAL SECURITY/VETERANS BENEFITS, CHILD SUPPORT, AND OTHER FORMS OF NON-WAGE INCOME. THESE PROTECTIONS WENT INTO EFFECT STATEWIDE JANUARY 2023, EXPANDING SOURCE OF INCOME PROTECTIONS PREVIOUSLY ONLY COVERED IN COOK COUNTY AND CHICAGO. INDIVIDUALS IMPACTED BY THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM WILL BE PROVIDED WITH ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE TO ENSURE THEIR FAIR HOUSING RIGHTS UNDER STATE, CHICAGO, AND COOK COUNTY LAW. BLACK AND LATINX HOMEOWNERS ADVERSELY IMPACTED BY APPRAISAL BIAS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO REFINANCE OR SELL THEIR HOMES, AS WELL AS THEIR INABILITY TO RECEIVE REAL ESTATE TAX EXEMPTIONS OR APPEAL OVERLY HIGH ASSESSMENTS, WILL BE BENEFITED BY THE PROJECT'S ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES. SIMILARLY, RESIDENTS OF COMMUNITIES IDENTIFIED IN THE PROJECT AREA, WHO ARE IMPACTED BY ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM, WILL BENEFIT FROM EDUCATION ON ORGANIZING AND FAIR HOUSING RIGHTS. PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES WILL ALSO BE SERVED BY THIS PROJECT, WHICH AIMS TO NOT ONLY INCREASE AWARENESS OF FAIR HOUSING ACT ACCESSIBLE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS, BUT ALSO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ACCESSIBLE UNITS THROUGH DAMAGES AWARDED BY ACTIONS BROUGHT. OVER THE LAST 4 FULL YEARS, SINCE 2019, SSHC'S PEI PROJECTS HAVE RECORDED: 956 COMPLAINT ALLEGATIONS PROCESSED, 628 TEST PART INVESTIGATIONS CONDUCTED, 27 ADMINISTRATIVE AND COURT FILINGS LITIGATED, 68 SYSTEMIC INVESTIGATIONS INITIATED, 17 LARGE GROUP EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH SESSIONS CONDUCTED WITH A TOTAL OF 1,161 ATTENDEES, 70 ORGANIZATIONAL OR GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY PARTNERSHIPS FORMED, AND 44 CASES SUCCESSFULLY RESOLVED RESULTING IN TOTAL DAMAGES OF $2,035,172 AWARDED TO SSHC, OTHER PLAINTIFFS SSHC JOINTLY REPRESENTED, AND FOR SSHC'S ADMINISTRATION OF COMMUNITY RELIEF; SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES THE CHICAGO AREA FAIR HOUSING ALLIANCE (CAFHA) WILL BE A CONTINUING SUBCONTRACTOR, PROVIDING EDUCATION AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES FOR THE PROJECT DURING THE ENTIRE 3-YEAR PERIOD. THEY HAVE BEEN PERFORMING COORDINATION OF LARGE GROUP TRAININGS UNDER SSHC'S LAST TWO PEI-MYC PROJECTS. CAFHA'S CO-EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS, AND CAFHA'S COMMUNICATIONS AND TRAINING MANAGER, WILL PERFORM MOST OF THE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES PROPOSED, PROVIDING AFFH ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL JURISDICTIONS AND LARGE GROUP SOURCE OF INCOME AND CRIMINAL HISTORY PROTECTION AWARENESS PRESENTATIONS WITH SSHC STAFF. CURRENT CAFHA STAFF WERE MAJOR CONSULTANTS/FACILITATORS OF THE COOK COUNTY REGIONAL ASSESSMENT OF FAIR HOUSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND CO-AUTHORS OF THE 2013 FAIR HOUSING AND EQUITY ASSESSMENT: METROPOLITAN CHICAGO.