Studying the Fair Housing Initiatives Program

A recent report from HUD’s Office of Policy Development and Research — Study of the Fair Housing Initiatives Program — finds that Fair Housing Initiatives Programs (FHIPs) often serve as the first point of contact for people filing discrimination complaints and that they filter out cases that are not covered by civil rights statutes or that lack merit. When FHIPs sign on as a complainant or representative of a complainant, such cases are much more likely to result in a conciliation or cause finding than cases coming from other sources. The report uses over 15 years of HUD administrative data (1989–2006), a web survey of Fiscal Years 2003–2005 FHIP grant recipients, in-depth interviews of current and former HUD employees and fair housing professionals, and data on complaint outcomes to explore the role of FHIPs in fair housing enforcement.

Fair housing organizations and other nonprofits receive competitive grant funding through the Fair Housing Initiatives Program. FHIP was authorized in 1987 to provide funding to these local organizations to fight housing discrimination and to assist people who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination. Through the program, FHIP organizations perform fair housing investigations, enforcement, and testing; educate the public and housing providers about fair housing laws, including their rights under the law and how landlords, realtors, and banks can comply with those laws; and build the capacity and effectiveness of nonprofit fair housing organizations.