Project Grant FPEI230099

PURPOSE: HOPE WILL UTILIZE THIS PROGRAM TO ACHIEVE ITS MISSION OF ELIMINATING HOUSING DISCRIMINATION AND ENSURING EQUAL ACCESS TO HOUSING FOR ALL REGARDLESS OF ANY PROTECTED CHARACTERISTIC. ILLINOIS HAS AN ESTABLISHED NEED FOR FAIR HOUSING DUE TO HIGH LEVELS OF SEGREGATION IN URBAN CENTERS AND THE MANY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE. TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES, HOPE WILL CONDUCT A FULL-SERVICE FAIR HOUSING ENFORCEMENT PROJECT IN LINE WITH THE WORK THAT THE ORGANIZATION HAS DONE SINCE 1968.; ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: 1) COMPLETE INTAKES. HOPE WILL ASSIST AN ESTIMATED 350 CLIENTS WHO CONTACT THE ORGANIZATION EACH YEAR. HOPE WILL COUNSEL CLIENTS ON THEIR FAIR HOUSING RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND OPTIONS FOR FIGHTING BACK AGAINST DISCRIMINATION SUCH AS ADVOCACY AND COMPLAINT FILING. WHEN CLIENTS PRESENT WITH OTHER HOUSING NEEDS, HOPE WILL ALSO COUNSEL CLIENTS ON THEIR RIGHTS AND OPTIONS UNDER VARIOUS OTHER HOUSING LAWS AND PROVIDE REFERRALS TO OTHER LOCAL SERVICE PROVIDERS, LEGAL AID SERVICES, GUIDANCE ON SEEKING AFFORDABLE AND/OR ACCESSIBLE HOUSING, AND A VARIETY OF OTHER HOUSING RELATED SERVICES. 2) ENGAGE IN ADVOCACY. ONCE FAIR HOUSING INTAKES ARE COMPLETED, HOPE CAN ASSESS THE NEEDS OF CLIENTS. CLIENTS OFTEN REQUEST DIRECT OR INDIRECT ADVOCACY WHEN FACING AN ONGOING VIOLATION OR IF THEY ARE INTERESTED IN PURSUING OR MAINTAINING A SPECIFIC HOUSING UNIT. HOPE HAS A VARIETY OF ADVOCACY TOOLKITS, TEMPLATES, AND OTHER RESOURCES THAT ARE USED IN THIS PROCESS. CLIENTS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH THE ADVOCACY TOOLKIT THAT MOST ADDRESSES THE DISCRIMINATION THEY ARE FACING, AND HOPE WILL PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT TO USE THE TOOLKIT. WHERE SELF-ADVOCACY IS UNSUCCESSFUL OR INAPPROPRIATE, HOPE WILL ENGAGE IN DIRECT ADVOCACY. FOR EXAMPLE, HOPE MAY DRAFT ADVOCACY LETTERS WITH STRONG LANGUAGE AND SEND THEM DIRECTLY TO HOUSING PROVIDERS WHO DISCRIMINATE DESPITE BEING AWARE OF THE LAW. HOPE WILL ASSIST AN ESTIMATED 20 HOUSEHOLDS WITH DIRECT ADVOCACY. 3) CONDUCT FAIR HOUSING INVESTIGATIONS INCLUDING TESTING. FAIR HOUSING INVESTIGATIONS ARE AT THE CORE OF HOPE'S ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES. HOPE WILL INITIATE AN ESTIMATED 47 INVESTIGATIONS EACH YEAR OF THIS PROJECT. THESE WILL INCLUDE AT LEAST FORTY RENTAL, THREE SALES, AND FOUR LENDING INVESTIGATIONS. MANY INVESTIGATIONS WILL FOCUS ON COMPLAINT ALLEGATIONS TO SUPPORT CLIENTS WHO HAVE FACED DISCRIMINATION. OTHER INVESTIGATIONS WILL BE SYSTEMIC AND FOCUS ON EMERGING TOPICS WITH A BROAD IMPACT ON THE LOCAL HOUSING MARKET. HOPE WILL ALSO ORGANIZE TWO TESTER TRAININGS EACH YEAR TO SUPPORT THIS WORK. THE TRAININGS WILL AID IN RECRUITING NEW RENTAL TESTERS AND ADVANCED TRAININGS WILL COVER SALES, LENDING, AND OTHER COMPLEX FAIR HOUSING ISSUES. 4) FILE ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINTS AND LAWSUITS WHERE APPROPRIATE. HOPE WILL ASSESS EACH INVESTIGATION FOR POTENTIAL COMPLAINT FILING. HOPE WILL OFFER SEVERAL LEVELS OF SUPPORT DEPENDING ON THE SPECIFIC EVIDENCE BROUGHT BY THE COMPLAINANT AND UNCOVERED THROUGH THE INVESTIGATION. HOPE MAY ASSIST CLIENTS SELF-FILE THEIR COMPLAINT WITH AN ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY AND SUPPORT THEM THROUGH THE PROCESS. HOPE MAY HELP CLIENTS FILE A COMPLAINT AND THEN ACT AS A FORMAL REPRESENTATIVE THROUGH THE PROCESS. HOPE MAY FILE A CO-COMPLAINT TO SEEK RESOLUTION FOR THE CLIENT AND THE BROADER COMMUNITY THOUGH THE ORGANIZATION'S CLAIM. HOPE MAY APPROACH PRIVATE COUNSEL TO FILE LAWSUITS IN COURT WHERE FEASIBLE. HOPE WOULD BE CLOSELY INVOLVED WITH ANY COMPLAINTS COMING OUT OF THE ORGANIZATION AND WILL OFFER SUPPORT TO CLIENTS AS THEY SEEK RESOLUTION. 5) SPREAD AWARENESS OF FAIR HOUSING LAWS TO LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND GOVERNMENTS. FINALLY, HOPE WILL DO GENERAL OUTREACH WORK TO CONTINUE SPREADING AWARENESS OF FAIR HOUSING LAWS, RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES.; EXPECTED OUTCOMES: HOPE'S KNOWLEDGE OF FAIR HOUSING LAWS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE LARGER COMMUNITY AND INDIVIDUALS/GROUPS WILL BE FAMILIAR WITH ITS SERVICES AND KNOW HOW TO SEEK ASSISTANCE FOR THEIR FAIR HOUSING QUESTIONS OR ISSUES. HOPE WILL DO THIS BY FOSTERING OR RENEWING PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS FOR CLIENT INTAKE AND REFERRAL; CONDUCTING FAIR HOUSING EDUCATIONAL TRAININGS/PRESENTATIONS FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, AND/OR HOUSING INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS; AND BY MEETING AND COLLABORATING WITH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERS TO INCREASE COMPLIANCE WITH THE AFFH RULE, AND/OR TO INCREASE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES TO THOSE GROUPS HISTORICALLY HARMED BY HOUSING DISCRIMINATION, RESIDENTIAL SEGREGATION, AND/OR EXCLUSIONARY PUBLIC POLICIES. HOPE WILL ADDITIONALLY RECEIVE AT LEAST 80,000 IMPRESSIONS THROUGH ITS TARGETED ONLINE OUTREACH AND ADVERTISING TO INCREASE FAIR HOUSING KNOWLEDGE.; INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WILL BENEFIT FROM BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY HOUSING DISCRIMINATION IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND BE ABLE TO REFER MATTERS TO HOPE DIRECTLY. HOUSING PROVIDERS AND INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS WILL ENSURE THEY ARE PROVIDING HOUSING AND SERVICES THAT ARE COMPLIANT WITH FAIR HOUSING LAWS. MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT STAFF WILL HAVE THE BENEFIT OF A COMMUNITY PARTNER IN HOPE THAT CAN PROVIDE SUPPORT IN ACHIEVING THEIR AFFH OBLIGATIONS. THE PROJECT WILL BE MADE ACCESSIBLE TO AND AFFIRMATIVELY MARKETED TO AREAS AND POPULATIONS VULNERABLE TO HOUSING DISCRIMINATION TO ENSURE IT IS WIDE REACHING. WITHOUT FAIR HOUSING INTAKE, INVESTIGATION, ADVOCACY, ENFORCEMENT, AND OUTREACH RESOURCES AS PROVIDED THROUGH HOPE'S FHIP-PEI PROJECT PROPOSAL, ILLINOIS RESIDENTS WILL NOT ONLY LACK APPROPRIATE KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR RIGHTS BUT WILL CONTINUE TO SEE THEIR HOUSING CHOICE LIMITED BY DISCRIMINATORY POLICIES AND PRACTICES. HOPE'S PROJECT WILL PROVIDE ALL GROUPS PROTECTED BY THE FAIR HOUSING ACT WITH THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES TO RECOGNIZE AND RESPOND TO FAIR HOUSING DISCRIMINATION.; SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: NONE