Thursday, Nov. 6, 2008
Media Contact: Dr. Ed Valenzuela, Arizona Fair Housing Center, 602-548-1599,
Maura Saavedra, Rep. Pastor's Office, 602-252-2653
PHOENIX, Ariz. - The Arizona Fair Housing Center (AFHC) has been selected by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to receive a $275,000 grant to assist in its ongoing efforts to enhance compliance with the Fair Housing Act and equivalent state and local fair housing laws, announced U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor, D-Ariz.
The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under the Private Enforcement Initiative of the Fair Housing Initiatives Program.
"It is every person's legal right to choose a home without discrimination," Pastor said. "In a city and state our size, we are fortunate to have organizations such as the Arizona Fair Housing Center to help implement important fair housing laws and spread the message about our rights to all people."
The HUD grant will allow the AFHC, located at 615 N. Fifth Ave., Phoenix, to enhance its outreach and investigative efforts throughout the state. The AFHC is an independent, nonprofit agency founded in 1989 dedicated to promoting fair housing and working toward eliminating housing discrimination. Federal, state, and local fair housing laws prohibit housing discrimination on the basis of national origin, race, color, religion, sex, familial status (having children under 18 years of age), physical disability or mental impairment. These laws make it unlawful to discriminate in the sale, rental, financing and insuring of housing.
The AFHC works with tenants, landlords, homeowners, real estate professionals, loan officers, housing counselors, social service agencies and community service organizations.
