HUD expands multilingual website

WASHINGTON – June 18, 2009 – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) unveiled an enhanced website to promote equal access to housing programs. HUD’s expanded Limited English Proficiency (LEP) website features factsheets, housing brochures and other forms in Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Cambodian, Chinese, Farsi, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese, in addition to English.

“When buying or renting a home, obtaining important housing information should not depend on how well people speak English,” says John Trasvina, HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “This website greatly expands HUD’s ability to offer all families access to our programs and services, regardless of the language they speak.”

The HUD site offers brochures on fair housing, model lease agreements, information about HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8), and a Resident Rights and Responsibilities brochure in various languages. The documents are free and accessible to the public.

The LEP website is in response to Executive Order 13166, which requires all federal, local and state agencies that receive federal funding to ensure that people with limited language skills have meaningful access to government programs and services.

FHEO and its partners in the Fair Housing Assistance Program investigate about 10,500 housing discrimination complaints annually. People who believe they are the victims of housing discrimination can contact HUD at (800) 669-9777 (voice) or (800) 927-9275 (TTY).

© 2009 FLORIDA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

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