Open Communities

Purpose: the Purpose of This Project Will Be to Expand the Organization’s Ability to Bring Enforcement and Education to Novel and Emerging Areas in the Rental Market and Beyond; Additionally, It Will Allow the Organization to Partner With Other Groups, Expand Education Efforts (reflecting Several Recent Paradigm-shifting Legal Changes, and Focusing New Content on the Topic of Credit Discrimination), Better Engage With Community Members, Conduct Broader Systemic Investigations Into Modern Redlining, and Conduct Quantifiable Numbers of Advanced Investigation Type; Activities to Be Performed: Activities Will Include Intake and Processing of Complaints (including More Complex Cases That Require Advanced Investigative Techniques); Referrals; Training of Both Agency Staff and Testers on Accessibility Testing, Mortgage Lending Testing, and Sales Testing; Outreach to Both Housing Seekers and Housing Providers on Emerging and Lesser-known Fair Housing Issues; Construction of a New Workshop That Discusses the Disparate Impact of Credit and Eviction Discrimination; Building a Volunteer Policy and Program Structure So That Community Members Can Support the Organization and Become Participants in the Civil Rights Movement; Commitments to Conduct at Least at Least 15 Advanced Testing Investigations (which Involve a Much Greater Agency Capacity, Training, and Oversight Than Rental Tests); Receiving Training on Modern Redlining Investigations and Developing Protocols and Research on Potential Redlining Patterns; as Well as Collaborations With Coalitions, Alliances, or Other Partners to Achieve Reforms That Affirmatively Further Fair Housing; Expected Outcomes: It Will Allow the Organization to Partner With Other Groups, Expand Education Efforts (reflecting Several Recent Paradigm-shifting Legal Changes, and Focusing New Content on the Topic of Credit Discrimination), Better Engage With Community Members, Conduct Broader Systemic Investigations Into Modern Redlining, and Conduct Quantifiable Numbers of Advanced Investigation Types; Intended Beneficiaries: Persons Protected Under Federal Law (race, Color, National Origin, Sex – Including Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity – Religion, Disability, and Familial Status). O These Will Include But Are Not Limited to: People Vulnerable to Steering (first-time Homebuyers, People of Color, Voucher Holders, Gender Minorities), People Vulnerable to Differential Treatment Due to the Enforcement of Overly Restrictive Municipal Crime-free Programs (people of Color, People With Prior Involvement, Survivors of Domestic Abuse, People With Disabilities), People Vulnerable to Violations Regarding Credit (similar Populations as Above). • Persons Protected Under State Law (which, in Addition to the Seven Federal Protections, Includes Age, Ancestry, Order of Protection Status, Military Status, Military Discharge Status, Immigration Status, Source of Income, Arrest Record). O These Will Include But Are Not Limited to: People Who Are Undocumented, Housing Choice Voucher Holders and Others Receiving Subsidies, People With Prior Arrest Records, Veterans (who May Encounter Discrimination Presenting Vash Income, or May Have Military Status or Discharge Status Held Against Them). • Persons Protected Under Local Law (which, in Addition to Federal Protections and Some State Protections Includes Housing Status, Covered Criminal History, and Caste). O These Will Include But Are Not Limited to: People Experiencing Homelessness, People Leaving Domestic Violence Shelters or Other Temporary/transitional Housing, People With Criminal Records, and Religious and Ethnic Minorities.; Subrecipient Activities: None