Fair Housing Enforcement Emergency Act of 2020

To provide assistance for fair housing enforcement activities associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Fair Housing Enforcement Emergency Act of 2020 2. Definition of COVID-19 emergency period For purposes of this Act, the term COVID-19 emergency period 42 U.S.C. 4121 3. Fair housing activities (a) FHIP; FHAP (1) Authorization of appropriations To ensure that fair housing organizations and State and local civil rights agencies have sufficient resources to deal with expected increases in fair housing complaints, to investigate housing discrimination, including financial scams that target protected classes, associated with or resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, and during such pandemic, there is authorized to be appropriated for contracts, grants, and other assistance— (A) $55,000,000 for the Fair Housing Initiatives Program under section 561 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1987 ( 42 U.S.C. 3616a (B) $35,000,000 for the Fair Housing Assistance Program under the Fair Housing Act ( 42 U.S.C. 3601 Amounts made available pursuant to this paragraph may be used by such organizations and agencies to establish the capacity to and to carry out activities and services by telephone and online means, including for individuals with limited English proficiency and individuals with a disability in accordance with requirements under the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990. (2) Private enforcement initiative In entering into contracts for private enforcement initiatives under 561(b) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1987 ( 42 U.S.C. 3616a(b) (3) 3-year availability Any amounts made available pursuant paragraph (1) that are allocated for a grantee and remain unexpended upon the expiration of the 3-year period beginning upon such allocation shall be recaptured by the Secretary. (b) Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity There is authorized to be appropriated $200,000,000 for the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity of the Department of Housing and Urban Development for costs of fully staffing such Office to ensure robust enforcement of the Fair Housing Act during the COVID-19 pandemic, including ensuring that— (1) assistance provided under this Act is provided and administered in a manner that affirmatively furthers fair housing in accordance with the Fair Housing Act; (2) such Office has sufficient capacity for intake of housing discrimination complaints by telephone and online mechanisms, including for individuals with limited English proficiency and individuals with a disability in accordance with requirements under the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 ( 29 U.S.C. 794 (3) such Office has the capacity to respond to all housing discrimination complaints made during the COVID-19 pandemic within time limitations required under law. In the hiring of staff using amounts made available pursuant to this subsection, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall consider and hire, at all levels of employment and to the greatest extent possible, a diverse staff, including by race, ethnicity, gender, and disability status. The Secretary shall submit a report to the Congress describing compliance with the preceding sentence on a quarterly basis, for each of the first 4 calendar quarters ending after the date of the enactment of this Act. 4. Fair housing guidance and education (a) Prohibition of showings Not later than the expiration of the 30-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall issue guidance for owners of dwelling units assisted under housing assistance programs of the Department prohibiting, during the COVID-19 emergency period, of any showings of occupied assisted dwelling units to prospective tenants. (b) Education There is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 for the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity of the Department of Housing and Urban Development to carry out a national media campaign to educate the public of increased housing rights during COVID-19 emergency period, that provides that information and materials used in such campaign are available— (1) in the languages used by communities with limited English proficiency; and (2) to persons with disabilities.

Summary: Fair Housing Enforcement Emergency Act of 2020 This bill provides support for fair housing enforcement during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public-health emergency. Specifically, the bill authorizes additional grants under the Fair Housing Initiatives Program and the Fair Housing Assistance Program, both administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); authorizes additional staffing for the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity to respond to fair housing complaints arising out of the emergency; authorizes the office to carry out a national media campaign to inform the public of expanded housing rights during the emergency; and requires HUD to prohibit owners of federally assisted dwellings from showing occupied units to prospective tenants during the emergency.