FAIR HOUSING INITIATIVES PROGRAM PRIVATE ENFORCEMENT INITIATIVE
Department of Housing and Urban Development · OFH-2600-DC-021C
69 days left
Award Range
$500K – $1.5M
Total Program Funding
$13.5M
Expected Awards
13
Deadline
November 2, 2026
GRANTQUICK SUMMARYPlain-English Overview
HUD is funding private fair housing ENFORCEMENT organizations — the ones that actually investigate discrimination, conduct paired testing (sending matched testers to landlords), file complaints, and litigate Fair Housing Act cases. $500K-$1.5M per award, 13 awards from $13.5M total. This is NOT education (that's the separate EOI grant) — this is boots-on-the-ground enforcement work. Deadline is far out: November 2026.
Who Should Apply
Qualified Fair Housing Enforcement Organizations (QFHEOs) with at least 2 years of fair housing enforcement experience — organizations that conduct testing, intake complaints, investigate discrimination, and/or litigate cases.
Who Should NOT Apply
New organizations without 2 years of enforcement history, education-only fair housing groups (use EOI instead), government agencies (they have their own enforcement budgets), or for-profit law firms.
Key Requirements (Plain English)
•Must be a private, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit
•Must have at least 2 years of fair housing enforcement experience
•Must be currently engaged in complaint intake, investigation, testing, OR enforcement
•Must have documented meritorious claims resolution
•Must coordinate with HUD FHEO
💡 GrantQuick Tip
This is a mature-organizations-only grant — the 2-year enforcement requirement is a hard gate. But if you qualify, the competition is limited: maybe 40-50 QFHEOs nationally compete for 13 awards (roughly 25-30% win rate). The 120-day deadline gives you time to document your enforcement track record thoroughly. Focus on OUTCOMES: how many tests conducted, complaints filed, cases settled, and discriminatory practices changed.
Competitiveness: Low-moderate — 13 awards for ~40-50 qualified enforcement organizations nationally. The 2-year requirement dramatically limits the applicant pool.
What This Grant Funds
Congress amended the Fair Housing Act in 1988 to establish the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) to provide funding to entities to work alongside HUD to "prevent or eliminate discriminatory housing practices" 42 USC §3616a (a). Congress determined in 1987, and has affirmed each year since then through appropriations, that HUD can only achieve its fair housing mission and obligations through supporting a network of organizations helping to educate the public and enforce fair housing rights. Initially a demonstration program, Congress made FHIP permanent in 1992 through the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992. The program was expanded in 1992 to address building capacity in unserved areas, establish a national media campaign, and fund a National Fair Housing Month.FHIP provides funds to eligible organizations through competitive grants under four initiatives: the Fair Housing Organizations Initiative (FHOI), the Private Enforcement Initiative (PEI), the Administrative Enforcement Initiative (AEI), and the Education and Outreach Initiative (EOI).This NOFO funds the PEI to provide grants to a nationwide network of eligible private, non-profit fair housing enforcement organizations to conduct testing and investigate violations of and enforce the Fair Housing Act, and State or local laws with equivalent rights and remedies.
To receive an award under this NOFO your organization must be organized as a private, tax-exempt, nonprofit, charitable 501(c) (3) organization currently engaged in complaint intake, complaint investigation, testing for fair housing violations, and enforcement of meritorious claims; and either a: Qualified Fair Housing Enforcement Organization (QFHO) with at least two years of experience in all of the following fair housing enforcement related activities in the three years prior to filing the application hereunder: complaint intake, complaint investigation, testing for fair housing violations, and enforcement of meritorious claims experience; or a Fair Housing Enforcement Organization (FHO) with at least one year of experience in all of the following fair housing enforcement related activities: complaint intake, complaint investigation, testing for fair housing violations, and enforcement of meritorious claims experience. See 42 U.S.C. §3616a (b) and (h). You must complete Appendix B, Certification for PEI Applicants, to certify QFHO or FHO status. If your organization does not currently qualify as a QFHO or FHO (see 24 CFR §§ 125.103 and 125.401), you may be eligible to apply under the FHIP Education and Outreach Initiative (EOI), or Fair Housing Organizations Initiative (FHOI) NOFOs. Please see each NOFO for specific eligibility requirements. If an applicant applies for both a PEI and FHOI Continuing Development Component grant and receives an award for both, HUD will rescind funding for the FHOI award if the activities for both awards are exactly alike or substantially similar. Co-applicants or members of a consortium are not eligible applicants under this NOFO. Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorship organizations are not eligible to compete for, or receive, awards made under this announcement.
Eligible Applicant Types
Other (see NOFO for details)
Funding Details
Minimum Award
$500K
Maximum Award
$1.5M
Total Program Funding
$13.5M
Expected Number of Awards
13
Cost Sharing Required?
No
Funding Instrument
grant
Key Dates
Posted:July 2, 2026
Application Deadline:November 2, 2026 (69 days remaining)
Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.
Agency Contact
Katherine Vasilopoulos, Director, Fair Housing Initiatives Program
katherine.vasilopoulos@hud.gov