Fair Housing Initiative Program - Education and Outreach Initiative - Test Coordinator Training

The Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) is a significant source of funding for FHIP grantees that conduct fair housing testing in local communities across the country. Fair housing testing refers to the use of testers who, without any bona fide intent to rent or purchase a property, pose as prospective renters or buyers of residential real estate for the purpose of determining whether housing providers and others are complying with the Fair Housing Act. The Department continues to be vigilant about ensuring that testing performed by testers with FHIP funds adhere to HUD’s investigatory standards so that it yields credible, objective and admissible evidence to aid in the enforcement of the Fair Housing Act. The Department seeks to ensure high quality and standardized fair housing testing performed by FHIP grantees. To support this goal, this Education and Outreach Initiative NOFO makes available in FY 2022, funding in the amount of $500,000 to support fair housing tester coordinator training courses that provide consistent training in the general area of fair housing testing. HUD also recognizes that testers may be specialized in specific areas of testing (lending, insurance, appraisal, etc.), and that testers will need more than the general tester training to provide high quality services. Therefore, the NOFO will also support specific tester training courses in the areas of mortgage lending, insurance, and residential appraisals to help meet the needs and requirements of the FHIP program.