TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Commission on Human Relations is partnering with the Brevard County-based Fair Housing Continuum, Inc., to help obtain almost $1 million in grant funds to investigate and stop housing discrimination in a six-county area.
The Commission (FCHR) this month sent the Continuum a letter formally committing its support for a $962,000 three-year grant under the federal Private Enforcement Initiative program. If the Fair Housing Continuum is awarded the grant funds, FCHR has pledged to work with the organization to provide essential educational materials and services to expand fair housing outreach in the Central Florida area.
“With so many Floridians facing an uncertain housing future, we all have a stake in preventing illegal housing discrimination,” said FCHR Interim Co-Director Michelle Wilson. “We’re delighted to support such an important community-based effort to ensure that everyone has equal access to the housing of their choice.”
The Fair Housing Continuum is seeking the federal funds to conduct investigations into possible housing discrimination against deaf/hearing impaired residents throughout the six-county territory and involving the maintenance of Real Estate Owned (REO) properties, typically foreclosed homes, in Orange County. The Continuum is a private non-profit fair housing agency dedicated to eliminating housing discrimination in Brevard, Indian River, Seminole, Osceola, Orange and Volusia counties.
FCHR, the state’s foremost anti-discrimination agency, has agreed to provide up to $14,100 in staff services in support of the grant over the three-year period.
The Florida Commission on Human Relations works to prevent unlawful discrimination by investigating and seeking to resolve complaints of discrimination in the areas of housing, employment and public accommodations. In the 2010-11 fiscal year, one in five complaints investigated by the Commission was for housing discrimination.
Learn more about FCHR at http://fchr.state.fl.us
