National Fair Housing Alliance Awards $8.3 Million For ‘Inclusive Communities Fund’ Grants
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 26, 2023
Contact: IWoodruff@nationalfairhousing.org
The grants will support organizations across 16 metropolitan areas working to expand inclusive and equitable access to housing
WASHINGTON D.C. — Today, the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) announced the recipients of its $8.3 million Inclusive Communities Fund Grant Program. Local partners across 16 metropolitan areas will receive up to $185,000 each to help people access equitable housing opportunities and promote stable, healthy, viable communities. These funds were made available as part of last year’s historic settlement with Fannie Mae that provided $35 million to promote homeownership, neighborhood stabilization, access to credit, property rehabilitation, and residential development.
“Too many neighborhoods have been destabilized by systemic housing discrimination. We are ready to invest in these areas to rebuild communities of color,” said Lisa Rice, President and CEO of NFHA. “By partnering with these organizations, we will revitalize block after block, the neighborhoods most impacted by the 2008 Mortgage Crisis, and build more inclusive and equitable communities. We look forward to working with our partners to ensure everyone has access to safe, sustainable, and fair housing choices and well-resourced neighborhoods.”
The Inclusive Communities Fund Grant Program invests fair housing settlement funds intended for community relief into neighborhoods or populations that have been destabilized by housing discrimination. The Inclusive Communities Fund empowers all individuals to access safe, sustainable housing of choice; creates inclusive, healthy, and well-resourced neighborhoods; and addresses systemic barriers that limit equitable housing opportunities for everyone.
The grants allow for NFHA partners to undertake activities that support Black and Latino communities, encourage access to housing with an emphasis on homeownership, and provide critical support to communities that have been harmed by discriminatory practices. Funding will be used for:
- Down payment assistance grants that will go directly to new homeowners, including several programs that are piloting a first-generation down payment assistance program that will primarily serve Black and Latino families;
- Financial literacy and credit counseling programs;
- Implementing Special Purpose Credit Programs to expand access to quality, affordable credit for Black and Latino consumers;
- Increasing the supply of affordable units for homeownership that is available in and for Black and Latino communities;
- Expanding opportunities for long-term affordable housing by supporting new properties for community land trusts and limited-equity housing cooperatives;
- Further expanding access to credit for Black and Latino families through programs such as those that offer more affordable mortgage products and/or credit-building accounts to income-qualified families;
- Supporting organizations to “clean and green” vacant lots by creating community gardens and other types of green space;
- Facilitating acquisition and rehabilitation of vacant homes to become affordable homeownership opportunities;
- Providing foreclosure prevention counseling and grants;
- Preventing loss of generational wealth by addressing title and heirs property issues;
- Providing repairs for existing homeowners so that they can remain in their homes, addressing health and safety issues, and ensuring the longevity of ownership.
The following organizations were selected to receive funding:
Albuquerque, NM
- Homewise
- United South Broadway Corporation
Baltimore, MD
- Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake
- St. Ambrose Housing Aid Center
- Southeast Community Development Corporation
Charleston, SC
- Charleston Area Urban League
- Charleston Redevelopment Corporation
- Origin SC
Kansas City, MO
- Habitat for Humanity Greater Kansas City
- Justine PETERSEN
- Westside Housing Organization
Las Vegas, NV
- Neighborhood Housing Services of Southern Nevada
- Homeownership Council of America
Louisville, KY
- Community Ventures
- New Directions
- The Housing Partnership Inc.
Memphis, TN
- Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis
- Center for Transforming Communities
- The Works, Inc.
Minneapolis, MN
- Neighborhood Development Alliance
- NeighborWorks Home Partners
- United Renters for Justice / Inquilinx Unidxs por Justicia
Newark, NJ
- Housing Partnership, NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Center
- New Jersey Community Capital
- Invest Newark
Prince George’s County, MD
- Latino Economic Development Center
- Housing Initiative Partnership
- HomeFree-USA
Philadelphia, PA
- Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia
- Mount Vernon Manor CDC
- Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
- Fair Housing Rights Center of Southeastern Pennsylvania
Phoenix, AZ
- Chicanos Por La Causa
- RAIL Community Development Corporation
- Trellis
- Southwest Fair Housing Council
Providence, RI
- ONE Neighborhood Builders
- Providence Revolving Fund
San Diego, CA
- CSA San Diego County
- San Diego Housing Commission
- Urban League of San Diego County
Tucson, AZ
- Pima County Community Land Trust
- Primavera Foundation
- Sonora Environmental Research Institute
- Southwest Fair Housing Council
Washington, DC
- Jubilee Housing
- Manna
- Yachad
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The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) is the country’s only national civil rights organization dedicated solely to eliminating all forms of housing and lending discrimination and ensuring equal opportunities for all people. As the trade association for over 170 fair housing and justice-centered organizations throughout the U.S. and its territories, NFHA works to dismantle longstanding barriers to equity and build diverse, inclusive, well-resourced communities.