Long Beach, CA February 11, 2022 – The Fair Housing Foundation and HomeOwnership OC announced today that the nonprofit organizations have received a grant of $125,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support their collaborative work to help end housing discrimination in Orange and Los Angeles Counties. The funds are provided through HUD’s Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) Education and Outreach Initiative (EOI) which provides support to local nonprofit agencies to help assist individuals who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination, and to educate housing providers and communities about fair housing laws. The EOI grant helps to educate the public and housing providers about their rights and responsibilities under federal law or state and local fair housing laws that are substantially equivalent to the Fair Housing Act.

“We are excited to continue our partnership with HomeOwnership OC on this grant. Our goal is to continue expanding our fair housing marketing and outreach efforts, and educational work to our communities so the public can prevent, recognize, and report housing discrimination,” said Stella Verdeja, Executive Director of the Fair Housing Foundation. “COVID-19 and its unique effects, has placed the spotlight on the housing issues that renters and homeowners were facing before the pandemic. With this collaboration, we will enhance our programs and services on fair housing laws to assist renters, homeowners, home seekers, and the housing industry. We are committed to advancing housing equality for everyone, even during these uncommon times.”

FHF and HOOC will partner together to provide a strategic educational campaign that offers online fair housing educational workshops, fair housing information, public service announcements, and social media ads, to better serve the Orange and Los Angeles communities.

If you believe you may have experienced discriminated in housing, please contact the Fair Housing Foundation to complete an interview. Contact FHF at 1-800-446-3247 (TTY: 1-800 855-7100), email [email protected] or HomeOwnership OC at 714-204-2314 or visit www.HomeOwnershipOC.org.

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About Fair Housing Foundation

The Fair Housing Foundation (FHF) is a non-profit organization formed in 1964 and is dedicated to eliminating discrimination in housing and promoting equal access to housing choices for everyone. FHF offers a comprehensive Fair Housing Program that includes discrimination complaint intake, testing and investigation; outreach and educational activities; and landlord and tenant rental counseling.

FHF has been continuously providing services to municipalities for 58 years. We assist approximately 6,000 clients annually. The purpose of the FHF Fair Housing program is to educate tenants, landlords, owners, Realtors, and property management companies on fair housing laws and to secure grassroots involvement within the community. Our motto is “Education over Litigation.” The Fair Housing Foundation is a HUD-Certified Housing Counseling Agency and also offers Rental Counseling.

About HomeOwnership OC

Homeownership OC is a nonprofit that promotes financial improvement, housing opportunities, and homeownership. Formally known as OC HOC, our mission is to promote and preserve the dream of homeownership through outreach, education, counseling, and financing. Homeownership OC works to educate the public, especially the low income and underserved populations, on all aspects of owning or renting a home. We are a one-stop-shop and a free resource here to assist the community with all their housing-related issues.

From renting to buying a home, to credit improvement and more, Homeownership OC works to ensure the community has the most up to date information and comprehensive resources easily accessible. This includes offering individual housing counseling and educational workshops to help individuals better understand housing situations, build assets, and improve overall financial wellbeing. Since our inception in 2007, we have counseled more than 17,120 consumers on options to save their home from foreclosure, improve credit, rental issues, homeownership, down payment, and fair housing rights.  We have also held more than 74 Home Preservation, Home Buying, Avoiding Real Estate Scams and Fraud, and Financial Educational Workshops throughout Orange County.