Washington, DC—Congressman Al Green (D-TX), along with Financial Services Ranking Member Barney Frank (D-MA) and Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA), successfully lobbied forty Members to sign onto a letter to the House Appropriations Committee urging an increase in funding to curb housing discrimination.

The letter, addressed to the Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, HUD, and the Judiciary Chairman Knollenberg and Ranking Member Olver, calls for a $6 million increase for HUD’s Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) and maintains current funding for its Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP). These housing initiatives provide funding grants to fair housing organizations, non-profit groups, and State and local fair housing enforcement agencies to educate consumers on the trappings of housing discrimination and provide resources to state agencies for enforcement.

“I wish I could say this was an outdated practice, but as evidenced by the growing numbers of violations, housing discrimination is alive and well. We have to crack down on those that willfully violate the law. I want to thank my colleagues for their support of this effort,” Green said.

Despite the passage of the federal Fair Housing Act over 37 years ago, more than 3.7 million fair housing violations still occur annually. Green said, “Homeownership represents one of the most sound financial investments a family can make toward their future and today millions are still being denied that opportunity.”

The letter will be sent today as the subcommittee is expected to mark-up the bill today. Below are excerpts from the letter to the appropriations committee and co-signatories:

Unfortunately, the FY 2006 budget request of $16.1 million represents a 20 percent cut to the program [FHIP], which would bring it to its lowest funding level since 1998. In fact, when the foreseen earmarks are removed, it will be the lowest level ever in the history of the program.

Fair housing education and enforcement play a pivotal role in increasing minority homeownership. Discrimination has a significant impact on a community’s tax base – and without the benefits of homeownership and integrated neighborhoods, minority populations must bear the high costs of segregation.

A recent testing program by the National Fair Housing Alliance has shown that there continues to be a crisis of segregation in this country. Housing discrimination and segregation breed inequality. According to 2000 Census data, many parts of our nation are even more segregated than they were 20 years ago.

With increased funding, fair housing groups will be able to assist more individuals, the housing industry, and communities in forming integrated neighborhoods, free from discrimination.

Co-signatories:

Reps. Raul Grijalva, Maloney, Crowley, Capuano, Cleaver, Napolitano, Cooper, Gutierrez, Ackerman, Clay, Pallone, Artur Davis, Wasserman Schultz, Velázquez, Towns, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Norton, Gwen Moore, Kildee, McDermott, Israel, Hinojosa, Lynch, Carson, Ford, Corrine Brown, Christensen, Sanders, Watson, Barbara Lee, Conyers, Wexler, McCarthy, Baca, Berkley, Watt and Brad Miller.