Washington, DC – (RealEstateRama) — U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced $125,000 in federal funding for CNY Fair Housing, Inc. in Syracuse. The funds were provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) Education and Outreach Initiative grants.
The funding will specifically be used to increase education efforts on fair housing rights throughout Central New York. CNY Fair Housing, Inc. will conduct training sessions for housing providers on fair housing responsibilities, develop training videos to improve access to fair housing information, and conduct an outreach campaign to educate the public on housing rights. This grant will also allow CNY Fair Housing, Inc. to focus on educating women about their rights when facing sexual harassment by housing providers.
“These vital federal funds will ensure that organizations like CNY Fair Housing are able to help residents and agencies across the region promote equal access to affordable housing for all residents, and to prevent sexual harassment,” said Senator Schumer. “I am proud to announce this funding for a local organization doing such great work. After all, having a roof over your head is one of life’s basic necessities, and we must do everything we can to help provide those in need with equal access to a decent and affordable place to live.”
“These federal funds will help ensure that communities in Central New York have access to the resources, education, and support they need to strengthen their fair housing rights,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I’m thankful that CNY Fair Housing, Inc. provides training to both the agencies and community members prone to discrimination in the housing process, and especially to women who could be vulnerable to sexual harassment by housing providers. I will continue to fight for funding that helps ensure that fair housing is available for New Yorkers.”
“We are thankful for this opportunity to build on our efforts to educate the community on fair housing. The Fair Housing Initiatives Program provides essential funding to educate individuals on their rights and to inform housing providers of their responsibilities under the law,” said Sally Santangelo, Executive Director of CNY Fair Housing, Inc. “Significant hurdles remain to achieving our goals to end the unfair treatment of people with disabilities in housing, to stop sexual harassment of women by housing providers, and to address longstanding patterns of racial and ethnic segregation in the region. We look forward to expanding our efforts to inform the community about these important issues.”
HUD’s FHIP Education and Outreach Initiative grants are awarded to state and local governments, fair housing enforcement organizations, and fair housing organizations that represent groups of persons that are protected by the Fair Housing Act. The grants may be used to develop education materials on housing accessibility, analyze local impediments to housing choice, provide housing counseling and classes, convene meetings that bring together the housing industry with fair housing groups, and mount public information campaigns. More information can be found here.
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