Appropriating $27,000 Local Equal Housing Opportuninty Fund

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Fair Housing Program The City of South Bend through the enactment of its Human Rights Ordinance has demonstrated a commitment to eliminating all vistages of discrimination in housing and to the creation of an environment conducive to equal opportunity and good healthy human relations. To this end a Human Rights Commission was established and given responsibility for implementing programs that promote fair housing. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under its Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP) has made funds available to local municipalities to assist them in their fair housing efforts. The South Bend Human Rights Commission has been awarded a grant under the FHAP and is proposing to use these funds to develop a new program whose primary purpose is to identify and remove barriers that interfere with equal housing opportunities. The Fair Housing Program as conceived has essentially four major goals. They are: 1. To develop tangible ties with the lending and real estate industries so as to obtain positive commitments from them to initiate and support activities designed to foster equal housing opportunities. This is to be accomplished by: (a) sponsoring and participating in workshops, seminars, panel discussions, etc., to discuss fair housing concerns from the perspective of the lender and realtor; (b) working with such organizations as the South Bend /Mishawaka Board of Realtors regarding matters of affirmative marketing; (c) offering assistance to members of the lending and real estate industries in the identification of those activities that tend to inhibit fair housing. After identifying problem areas, solutions to said problems can be pursued in an atmosphere of cooperation and good will. 2. To establish open channels of communication with landlords and /or landlord organizations and tenants and /or tenant organizations to assist them in understanding their rights and responsibilities with respect to equal housing opportunities. 3. To establish strong working relationships with•'neighborhood groups and concerned citizens to assist them in the identi- fication and elimination of obstacles to equal housing opportunities. This is to be accomplished through: