Fair Housing Enforcement Emergency Act of 2021

Bill: 117-hr-1674
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Green, Al [D-TX-9]
Introduced: 2021-03-09
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Appropriations

Cardiovascular and respiratory health

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Disability and paralysis

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Executive agency funding and structure

Foreign language and bilingual programs

Fraud offenses and financial crimes

Government information and archives

Government studies and investigations

Housing and community development funding

Housing discrimination

Infectious and parasitic diseases

Public contracts and procurement
Latest action: action_date: 2021-05-18
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-03-09
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Fair Housing Enforcement Emergency Act of 2021</strong></p> <p>This bill provides funds for fair housing organizations and state and local civil rights agencies to respond to and investigate fair housing complaints and housing discrimination resulting from the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. </p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1674 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 9, 2021 Mr. Green of Texas (for himself and Ms. Waters ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services , and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary , for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To authorize assistance for fair housing enforcement activities to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Fair Housing Enforcement Emergency Act of 2021 . 2. Fair housing activities (a) Definition of COVID-19 emergency period For purposes of this section, the term COVID-19 emergency period means the period that begins upon the date of the enactment of this Act and ends upon the date of the termination by the Federal Emergency Management Agency of the emergency declared on March 13, 2020, by the President under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 4121 et seq.) relating to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. (b) FHIP; FHAP (1) Appropriations Out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, there is appropriated 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, for contracts, grants, and other assistance— (A) $39,740,000 for fiscal year 2021 for the Fair Housing Initiatives Program under section 561 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1987 ( 42 U.S.C. 3616a ), of which— (i) $8,740,000 shall be available for assistance under subsection (d) of such section 561 for education and outreach activities; (ii) $18,500,000 shall be available for private enforcement initiatives under subsection (b) of such section 561; (iii) $2,500,000 shall be available for an initiative to provide technical assistance and training to such organizations and entities regarding fair housing issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic; and (iv) $10,000,000, which shall remain available until September 30, 2024, shall be available 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— (I) in the languages used by communities with limited English proficiency; and (II) to persons with disabilities. (B) $35,000,000 for fiscal year 2021 for the Fair Housing Assistance Program under the Fair Housing Act ( 42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.). (2) Use of telephone and internet capabilities Amounts made available by paragraph (1) 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. (3) Priority for private enforcement initiatives and technical assistance 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) ) using amounts made available by paragraph (1)(A)(ii) of this subsection and contracts for technical assistance and training using amounts made available by paragraph (1)(A)(iii), the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall give priority to applications from qualified fair housing enforcement organizations that have at least 2 years of fair housing testing experience. (4) 3-year grants A grant for any grantee from any amounts made available by clause (i), (ii), or (iii) of paragraph (1)(A) shall be made for a 3-year period, subject to the request of the grantee, and the grantee shall receive an allocation of such grant amounts annually during such 3-year period.