Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Open Communities, a private non-profit fair housing enforcement organization based in Evanston, Illinois, received a $425,000 Project Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity under the Private Enforcement Initiatives program (CFDA 14.418) for the period April 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027. The grant funds the organization's investigation and enforcement of fair housing violations under Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, including complaint intake and investigation, fair housing testing across protected classes (race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, and national origin), and related enforcement activities to identify and address discriminatory housing practices in sales, rentals, financing, and other housing-related transactions.

The award supports Open Communities' comprehensive fair housing enforcement capacity, enabling the organization to conduct specialized testing activities, process housing discrimination complaints, and provide education and outreach services to aggrieved individuals and groups while simultaneously working to prevent discriminatory practices by landlords, real estate agents, and other housing industry actors. As an established fair housing enforcement organization with a demonstrated track record of grant funding and enforcement experience, Open Communities delivers full-service fair housing enforcement services addressing all protected classes and geographic regions within its service area.