Webinar
NFHTA Forum | Meaningful Collaboration to Advance Housing Equity: A June Homeownership Event
June 15, 2022 | 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM EDT
Online
Description
David Berenbaum, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Housing Counseling, HUD
For more than 50 years, HUD approved Housing Counseling Agencies have held unique roles in helping consumers across America make informed housing decisions. HUD's Office of Housing Counseling (OHC) supports a nationwide network of nearly 2,000 Housing Counseling Agencies, which are tasked with providing individuals and families with the knowledge they need to obtain, sustain, and improve their housing. This includes providing tools to current and prospective homeowners and renters so they may make informed choices to address their housing needs. HUD Certified Housing Counselors are impartial, trained professionals who help consumers make the decisions that are right for them. They provide homeowner education, pre-purchase and foreclosure prevention counseling, fair housing information, and a host of other services.
The National Fair Housing Training Academy (NFHTA) and HUD's Office of Housing Counseling (OHC) hosted a public forum that commemorated the 20th year celebrating June National Homeownership Month, and discussed how local community organizations, and individuals can connect the dots to ensure the American Dream for our neighbors. Panelists shared ways to move the needle in promoting homeownership and addressing the racial wealth gap in low-income minority communities, including review of consent agreements, community benefit agreements, and litigation levers that FHIPs and FHAPs can utilize to promote homeownership in strategically targeted areas. Over 519 fair housing partners joined in this conversation.
Overview
- Welcome from moderator, Cashauna Hill, Executive Director at the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center
- Opening remarks by Demetria McCain, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, HUD
- Opening remarks by David Berenbaum, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Housing Counseling, HUD
- Introduction of panelists:
- Ibijoke Akinbowale, Director of Community Impact, National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC)
- Caroline Peattie, Executive Director, Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California
- Lautaro "Lot" Diaz, Vice President of Housing & Financial Empowerment, UnidosUS
- Presentation and discussion by panelists on:
- Defining Housing Counseling and services provided
- Recognizing the intersections between FHIP/FHAP and Housing Counseling
- Leveraging Housing Counseling to combat the racial wealth divide
- Outlining fair housing issues frequently encountered in Housing Counseling
- Analyzing fact patterns or trends in Housing Counseling that need to be brought to FHIP/FHAPs
- Best Practices of how fair housing organizations can support fair lending
- Sharing tools to provide language access to persons who are Limited English Proficient (LEP)
- Addressing fair housing issues in LEP communities
- Best practices on culturally and linguistically relevant counseling and education
- How Housing Counseling affirmatively furthers fair housing
- Question and answer session moderated by Ms. Hill
A video of the forum has been posted on this page, along with a transcript of the conversation and a robust resources list for your continued reference.
Learning Objectives
- Build understanding of the HUD Certified Housing Agencies and the services they provide
- Recognize the fair housing intersection in the vocations of the FHIP/FHAPs and housing counseling organizations
- Know about fair housing issues that housing counselors encounter and how to support in addressing potential violations.
- Have tools to provide language access to persons who are Limited English Proficient (LEP).
- Highlight best practices for how fair housing organizations support fair lending enforcement.
- Understand how FHIP/FHAP agencies and housing counseling organizations can collaborate to affirmatively further fair housing.
Audience
This forum is targeted to HUD-funded fair housing organizations (i.e., FHIP and FHAP professionals), fair housing partners (e.g., housing counselors, legal service providers, and civil rights advocates), and others in the housing/lending industries.
Materials
Date Published: June 1, 2022
This press release discusses an agreement that was executed in settlement of a source of income discrimination complaint brought by Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California (FHANC) against Greenbrae Management, Inc., which manages Bon Air Apartments in Greenbrae.
National Homeownership Month Press Release
Date Published: May 31, 2022
This press release announces President Biden's Proclamation marking June as National Homeownership Month. It discusses how this year's Homeownership Month celebrates the 20th year of this opportunity to amplify the benefits of homeownership and the work that remains to achieve fairness and equity in access to affordable homeownership for all Americans who seek it.
HUD's Housing Supply Initiative - Our Way Home
Date Published: June 1, 2022
Under Secretary Fudge's leadership, "Our Way Home" is HUD's initiative that tells the story of how HUD boosts our nation's housing supply and brings down costs for all Americans. This HUD-led effort will address the housing supply challenges in local communities and uplift the actions communities are taking to create more affordable homes.
Closing the African American Homeownership Gap
Date Published: March 22, 2021
This HUD User PD&R Edge article summarizes the panel "Closing the Black Ownership Gap" that was held on December 1, 2020 during the National Housing Conference annual Solutions to Affordable Housing online convening. The four experts on the panel "discussed the status of African American homeownership, current challenges, and the importance of housing policy in reducing the wealth gap between Whites and African Americans in the United States. All of the panelists are affiliated with companies or organizations that have implemented programs and initiatives to expand homeownership among African Americans."
Date Published: March 2022
The Action Plan to Advance Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity (PAVE) is the blueprint for how all Americans can benefit fairly from the equity built through homeownership. It outlines the historical role of racism in the valuation of residential property and examines the various forms of bias that can appear in residential property valuation practices. The Action Plan outlines how government and industry stakeholders will advance equity through concrete actions and recommendations.
Date Published: December 7, 2021
This statement from HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) encourages lenders to take two important steps designed to remedy the continuing legacy of past discrimination: 1) encouraging lenders to review current and historic barriers to credit and homeownership faced by people of color and other underserved communities; 2) encouraging lenders to help resolve these inequities through Special Purpose Credit Programs (SPCP) designed to assist those who have historically been locked out of homeownership opportunities.
FHEO and OHC Conference - Fair Housing 2021: What Counselors Need to Know
Date Published: November 2021
HUD's OHC and FHEO sponsored a joint virtual conference for housing counselors to become knowledgeable about Fair Housing requirements (and for those who want a refresher).
Office of Housing Counseling: Language Access
HUD's OHC complies with Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) principles and prioritizes language assistance to persons who are Limited English Proficient (LEP), as described in the Housing Counseling Handbook. This page provides tools and resources related to language access and alternative formats for delivering housing counseling services.
HUD's Language Access Plan (2021-2026)
This Plan outlines HUD's commitment to providing meaningful access for people with Limited English Proficiency (LEP), including immigrants, across all programs, services, and activities conducted by this Agency. Providing language access for persons with LEP is critical to HUD's commitment to advancing equity, providing support to underserved communities and vulnerable populations, and combating discrimination based on national origin.
Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
This HUD FHEO website provides information regarding the obligations of housing providers, HUD's LEP Initiative, and additional resources related to LEP.
Federal Register: Restoring Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Definitions and Certifications
Date Published: June 10, 2021
This interim final rule by HUD restores certain definitions and certifications related to AFFH and reinstates a process by which HUD will provide technical assistance and other support to funding recipients who are engaged in fair housing planning to support their certifications.
Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH)
This HUD website provides information regarding AFFH including its definition, who must comply, and how AFFH is implemented.
This website published by Abt Associates and the New York University (NYU) Furman Center provides information regarding local fair housing planning and is a resource for comprehensive, balanced, and equitable housing strategies.
Find a Housing Counseling Agency
Housing counseling services are a critical tool in any practitioner's toolbox. This site provides searchable links to counselors for referrals of clients facing critical housing matters nationwide.
Find a Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP)
This HUD FHEO website provides contact information for Fair Housing Initiatives Programs (FHIP). FHIPs are fair housing organizations and other non-profits that receive funding to assist people who believe they have been victims of housing discrimination. This includes conducting preliminary investigation of claims, testing, and promoting fair housing laws and equal housing opportunity awareness.
Find a Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP)
This HUD FHEO website provides contact information for Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP) Agencies. FHAPs are state and local governments that have enacted and enforce their own statutes and ordinances that are substantially equivalent to the Fair Housing Act. This includes providing information to the public regarding their rights, intaking complaints of alleged housing discrimination, investigating complaints, and administrative and judicial enforcement to ensure that victims obtain full remedies and the public interest is served.
NFHTA Job Aid: Best Practices for Language Access and Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
Date Published: June 2021
This job aid provides basic information regarding language access for FHIP and FHAP clients, including best practices to provide services to the LEP community. Fair housing practitioners can use this aid to evaluate or revise your agency's language access plan and to ensure inclusiveness for all clients.
Fair Housing Fact Sheet for Housing Counselors
Date Published: June 2022
This tool serves as a quick reference on fair housing topics for housing counselors. The fact sheet summarizes the laws, processes, and resources to understand and address fair housing discrimination.
Opening Remarks
Demetria McCain
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary
Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, HUD
Live Roundtable
Ibijoke Akinbowale
Director of Community Impact
National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC)
Panelist
About the Forums
Forums are online conversations designed to allow multi-directional interactions between HUD and its FHIP and FHAP partners around emerging fair housing issues regarding processing complaints, conducting investigations, and managing agencies. Topics will evolve based on partner needs and interests.
Disclaimer: The National Fair Housing Forum webinar series provides training by and to HUD partners, including entities and persons participating in HUD's FHAP Program and FHIP Program. The series offers multidirectional idea sharing in real-time. The views offered by speakers and participants do not necessarily reflect HUD's views. Similarly, unless otherwise noted, documents provided as part of the webinar were created and maintained by other public and private organizations and may not reflect HUD's official position. HUD-produced guidance documents, except when based on statutory or regulatory authority or law, do not have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the public in any way. Such guidance documents are intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or HUD policies. The information is not intended to provide legal advice to any individual or entity. Please refer to relevant laws and regulations and/or your own legal advisor before taking any action based on information appearing on this site or any site to which it may be linked. Some materials have been translated into languages other than English; slight variations may have resulted from the translation.
Tags: Fair Housing Housing Counseling Program NFHTA