Fair Housing Initiatives Program - Education and Outreach Initiative

The Fair Housing Initiatives Program – Education and Outreach Initiative is a discretionary grant opportunity administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to support organizations in preventing and eliminating discriminatory housing practices through public education and outreach. The initiative has two components: the National Media Campaign, which centrally develops and disseminates fair housing media products to raise awareness nationally and increase participation in Fair Housing Month, and the General Component, which funds localized, community-based education and outreach efforts addressing housing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, and national origin. Applicants must submit a comprehensive application through Grants.gov by the deadline of August 21, 2025, and must maintain active registrations in SAM.gov with a valid Unique Entity Identifier, as well as a current Grants.gov account linked to Login.gov. All applications must include mandatory forms such as the HUD-424-CBW Detailed Budget Worksheet, HUD-426 Certification, EOI Eligibility Certification (Appendix B), and an abstract using the standardized format in Appendix C. The Statement of Work must clearly outline quantifiable goals, activities, deliverables, and outcomes, accompanied by a detailed SOW Chart (Appendix A), and must address housing discrimination comprehensively across all protected classes. Award decisions are based on a merit review process with a total of 104 points divided among five weighted factors: applicant capacity and organizational experience (36 points), proposed SOW and budget (30 points), need and extent of the problem (19 points), measurement and evaluation plan (15 points), and up to 4 preference points for qualifying entities such as minority-serving institutions. Applications undergo a mandatory risk review assessing financial stability, past performance, management systems, compliance with 2 CFR Part 200, and public records. Awards range from $250,000 to $1,300,000 and are structured as fixed-price grants, with payments released upon satisfactory and timely completion of deliverables and submission of financial and progress reports to LOCCS. HUD maintains substantial oversight, approving all deliverables and work plans before implementation, requiring quarterly reporting, and conducting monitoring reviews. NMC products must receive prior written approval from HUD before public release, and all public-facing materials must be submitted to the Government Technical Representative at least four days in advance. Compliance with federal regulations including the Fair Housing Act, 2 CFR Part 200, Drug-Free Workplace requirements, FFATA, BABA, and accessibility