Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
How it can assist AAPIs
HUD works with community organizations focused on housing, homeownership, public services, or com-
munity development to ensure that everyone can access HUD’s programs and resources. HUD provides
individual housing services from housing counseling to rental assistance. Contact a regional or local office in your area to reach HUD.
All HUD grants are managed by the Office of Departmental Grants Management and Oversight. HUD
competitive funding opportunities are tailored to help communities design and implement housing, eco-
nomic development, and community development programs to address local needs.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Technical Assistance program provides funding for experienced organizations to help CDBG grant recipients to plan, develop, and administer activities under
the CDBG program.
Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing enhances the capacity and ability of community development corporations and community housing development organizations to carry out
community development and affordable housing activities that benefit low-income families.
The Fair Housing Initiatives Program is designed to increase the number of referrals to HUD of discriminatory housing practices. Eligible organizations provide fair lending enforcement services or inform and
educate the public about their rights and obligations under fair housing laws. Funding is also available to
build capacity and establish new fair housing enforcement organizations.
The Housing Counseling Program funds HUD-approved counseling agencies and intermediaries that provide counseling services within their communities. HUD also funds organizations that improve and
standardize the quality of counseling by training housing counselors.
Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control office improves the efficacy of methods for detecting and controlling housing-related health and safety hazards in the home. Eligible applicants carry out related research
studies, demonstrations, or outreach.
The Rural Housing and Economic Development Program funds the development and implementation of innovative housing and economic development activities in rural areas.
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HUD funds a range of homeless and targeted housing assistance. Continuum of Care programs award organizations that provide housing and supportive services for the homeless. Supportive Housing for the Elderly
and Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities provide interest-free capital advances to organizations to construct, rehabilitate, or acquire rental housing with support services for the elderly or persons with disabilities. HUD also funds the Assisted Living Conversion Program for people who are elderly or who have disabilities. In addition, owners of multifamily assisted housing developments are eligible for funds to hire service coordinators and pay associated administrative costs.
The Housing Counseling Program provides grants to HUD-approved housing counseling agencies to provide housing counseling services to homebuyers, homeowners, low- to moderate-income renters, and
the homeless. The program’s goals are to improve financial literacy, expand homeownership opportunities,
improve access to affordable housing and preserve homeownership. The Office of Housing and Office of
Public and Indian Housing contributes to building and preserving healthy neighborhoods and communities; maintaining and expanding homeownership, rental housing, and health-care opportunities; stabiliz-
ing credit markets in times of economic disruption; and operating with a high degree of public and fiscal
accountability.
HUD provides comprehensive information regarding foreclosure, including state and local foreclosure counselors and resources. In addition, HUD and the Department of Treasury developed a helpful tool, available at http://www.makinghomeaffordable.gov. Homeowners can call 1-888-995-HOPE (4673) to speak to an expert advisor immediately, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, in over 170 languages.
Housing Choice Vouchers are rental subsidies for eligible tenant families and persons. The voucher program also provides a number of development opportunities for public housing organizations. Housing choice
vouchers are administered locally by local public housing agencies.
The Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) administers and enforces housing and anti-discrimination federal laws. FHEO investigates over 10,000 housing discrimination complaints annually and helps ensure residents have equal access to the housing of their choice. Anyone who believes they are
the victims of housing discrimination can file a complaint by filling out an online complaint form, or calling: 1-800-669-9777 (voice) or 1-800-927-9275 (TTY).
Other Resources:
n The HUD Limited English Proficiency website provides documents created by HUD program offices in 12 different languages. If your organization is interested in using these translated materials, call
202-402-7017.
n For access to research and data sets relating to housing and urban development: http://www.huduser.org.
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White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Department of the Interior (DOI)
How it can assist AAPIs
DOI is uniquely positioned to employ thousands of people to work in the great outdoors, providing Ameri-
cans with hands-on experience with green career pathways as technicians, scientists, engineers, land manag-
ers, and educators, among others professions. DOI protects America’s natural resources and heritage, honors
our cultures and tribal communities, and supplies the energy to power our future.
DOI bureaus and offices include the following: The Office of Insular Affairs has the administrative responsibility for coordinating federal policy in the territories of American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and oversight of federal programs and funds in
the freely associated states of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. The Office of Native Hawaiian Relations’ mission is to serve as a liaison with the Native Hawaiian community and work with the Department and its bureaus on issues affecting Hawaii. The
National Park Service manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service works to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
The U.S. Geological Survey provides impartial information on the health of our ecosystems and environment, the natural hazards that threaten us, the natural resources we rely on, the impacts of climate and land-use change, and the core science systems that help us provide timely, relevant, and useable information.
DOI engages in many types of formal and informal partnership arrangements including: grants, cooperative agreements, and memoranda of understanding. The Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business
Utilization provides small and disadvantaged businesses with maximum practicable opportunity to participate in the Interior contracting process, and ensures that small businesses are treated fairly and provided
with opportunities to compete and win a fair amount of DOI contracting and subcontracting dollars. The
Youth In The Great Outdoors Initiative (Youth GO!) employs, educates, and engages young people from all backgrounds in exploring, connecting with, and preserving America’s natural and cultural heritage.
Department of Justice (DOJ)
How it can assist AAPIs
DOJ’s mission is to enforce the law and defend the interests of the U.S. according to the law; to ensure
public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and control-
ling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial
administration of justice for all Americans. In addition, there are a number of grant programs available to
the community.
The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) provides federal leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence against women and administer justice for and strengthen services to victims of
domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. OVW administers grants, financial and tech-
nical assistance programs to local and state and tribal governments, courts, nonprofit organizations, community-based organizations, institutes of higher education, and state and tribal coalitions across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices working toward developing more effective responses to
violence against women through activities that include direct services, crisis intervention, transitional housing, legal assistance to victims, court improvement, and training for law enforcement and courts. Apply for
an OVW grant at: http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/how-to-apply.html. Some important grants to keep in mind: Guide to Federal Agency Resources | 2011
19
n STOP (Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grants to
States promotes a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach to enhancing advocacy and improving the criminal justice system’s response to violent crimes against women. Ten percent of STOP funding is
mandated to develop and support initiatives to address the needs of underserved populations.
n Culturally and Linguistically Specific Services for Victims Program funds projects that promote the maintenance and replication of existing successful domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault,
and stalking community-based programs providing culturally and linguistically specific services and
other resources.
n Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP) is the first federal funding stream solely dedicated to the provision of direct intervention and related assistance for victims of sexual assault. SASP encompass-es a funding stream for culturally specific organizations and seeks to provide intervention, advocacy,
accompaniment, support services, and related assistance for victims, family members, and others
affected by sexual assault through direct intervention and related assistance from social service orga-
nizations, such as rape crisis centers through 24-hour sexual assault hotlines, crisis intervention, and
medical and criminal justice accompaniment.
Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) administers the nation’s immigration court system. EOIR
primarily decides whether foreign-born individuals, who are charged by the Department of Homeland
Security with violating immigration law, should be ordered removed from the U.S. or should be granted
relief or protection from removal and be permitted to remain in this country. To make these determinations,
EOIR’s Office of the Chief Immigration Judge has more than 235 immigration judges who conduct adminis-
trative court proceedings, called removal proceedings, in 59 immigration courts nationwide.
Community Relations Service (CRS) provides violence prevention and conflict resolution services for community conflicts and tensions arising from differences of race, color, or national origin. CRS is DOJ’s
“peacemaker” for these types of community conflicts and tensions. CRS is the only federal agency dedicated
to assist state and local units of government, private and public organizations, and community groups with
preventing and resolving racial and ethnic tensions, incidents and civil disorders, and in restoring racial
stability and harmony.
The Civil Rights Division works to uphold the civil and con-
Since 9/11/2001, DOJ has
stitutional rights of all Americans, particularly some of the
investigated more than 800
most vulnerable members of our society. The Division’s 11
incidents involving violence, threats,
sections enforce federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, disability, religion, familial
vandalism, and arson against
status and national origin.
persons perceived to be Muslim or
to be of Arab, Middle Eastern, or
The Criminal Section prosecutes cases involving the violent
South Asian origin.
interference with liberties and rights defined in the Con-
stitution or federal law. The rights of both U.S. citizens and
noncitizens are protected. Issues addressed by the Criminal
—DOJ, Fact Sheet: Protect the Civil
Section include hate crimes, misconduct by enforcement
Rights of American Muslims Outreach
officials, human trafficking, interference with the exercise
and Enforcement Efforts, March 2011.
of religious beliefs and destruction of religious property, and
interference with the right to vote.
The Federal Coordination and Compliance Section coordinates across federal agencies to ensure that they are consistently and effectively enforcing civil rights statutes and related Executive Orders that prohibit
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White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
discrimination in federally assisted programs and in the federal government’s own programs and activities.
Among its duties, this section is responsible for ensuring that persons with limited English proficiency are able to meaningfully access federal programs and services for which they are eligible.
The Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices enforces the statute that prohibits discrimination in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee that is based on an individual’s national origin or citizenship status. The statute also prohibits unfair documentary practices
during the employment eligibility verification (Form I-9) process (“document abuse”), and retaliation or
intimidation.
The Disability Rights Section works to achieve equal opportunity for people with disabilities in the U.S. by implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act ( ADA). Section activities affect 6 million businesses and nonprofit agencies, 80,000 units of state and local government, 49 million people with disabilities, and over 100 federal agencies and commissions in the Executive Branch.
The Educational Opportunities Section enforces statutes and court decisions in a diverse array of cases involving elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher education to ensure that school officials do not discriminate against students on the basis of sex, national origin, language barrier, religion, or disabilities. These actions also include bullying and harassment issues.
The Housing and Civil Enforcement Section ensures and protects the public’s right to access housing free from discrimination, the right to access credit on an equal basis, the right to patronize places of business that provide public accommodations, and the right to practice one’s faith free from discrimination.
The Voting Section enforces the Voting Rights Act ensures that, throughout the nation, no person shall be denied the right to vote on account of race or color.
The Special Counsel for Religious Discrimination coordinates cases involving religion-based discrimination, and oversees outreach efforts to religious communities. If you feel you have been discriminated against on
the basis of religion, but are unsure which section of the civil rights division to contact, or if you have any problems reaching one of the sections listed above, call the special counsel’s office at 202- 353-8622 (voice) or 202-514-0716 (TDD).
File a complaint with the Civil Rights Division or contact your local FBI field office to report incidents of:
hate crimes; excessive force, or other Constitutional violations by persons acting as law enforcement officials or public officials; human trafficking and involuntary servitude; force, threats, or physical obstruction to interfere with access to reproductive health-care services; force or threats to interfere with the exercise of religious beliefs and destruction, defacing, or damage of religious property; or force or threats to interfere with the right to vote based on race, color, national origin, or religion.
Other Resources:
n http://www.LEP.gov promotes a positive and cooperative understanding of the importance of language access to federally conducted and federally assisted programs. This site also acts as a clearing-
house, providing and linking to information, tools, and technical assistance regarding limited English
proficiency and language services for federal agencies, recipients of federal funds, users of federal
programs and federally assisted programs, and other stakeholders.
n This chart describes federal funding opportunities that may be available to state and local courts to provide language assistance services to LEP individuals. Each chart includes the name of the federal
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agency providing the funding, the program name, whether state courts are eligible, whether the fund-
ing can be used to provide language assistance services, and the location for more information about
the program and past recipients.
Grantee Spotlight: Asian & Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence;
San Francisco, Calif.
Federal Program: Culturally and Linguistically Specific Services; OVW, DOJ
The Asian & Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence (API Institute) is a national resource center and a training and technical assistance provider on gender-based violence in Asian, Native Hawaiian and
Pacific Islander communities. It serves a national network of advocates, community members, national
organizations, service agencies, professionals, researchers, policy advocates, and activists from com-
munity and social justice organizations. Its goals are to strengthen culturally relevant advocacy, promote
community organizing, and influence public policy and systems change. Director Firoza Chic Dabby
explains her experience disseminating information to the API Institute’s constituents on a new OVW grant
program, Culturally and Linguistically Specific Services (CLSSP).
Our federal grants from HHS and OVW fund us to serve as a Technical Assistance and Training
provider. We used this grant from OVW to provide training and technical assistance to our constitu-
ents—domestic violence programs serving AAPIs. For many organizations, the application process
can be difficult. OVW hosts calls to assist through the process. Working in collaboration with OVW
and other Technical Assistance & Training providers is important, as well as paying attention to detail during the application process.
My advice to those interested in this grant program is to: 1) Assess if your organization has the
capacity to apply for and administer a federal grant; 2) Follow the necessary steps to register and to
get announcements related to the RFP; and 3) Review your program ideas to see how they will be
staffed, if they fit your mission, and who you might collaborate with—if collaborating, begin the pro-
cess early. It is very important to review procedures to determine if your organization is eligible and
to ensure it has the basic requirements stated by the federal agency (like a DUNS number) to submit
the application. Fiscal management is critical to administering federal grants. Be sure your organiza-
tion has an accounting system to manage and submit budget reports, and that it has sufficient cash
flow to meet grant expenses (federal grants do not make awards at the start of the grant period, but
in monthly drawdowns).
For more information on the API Institute, visit http://www.apiidv.org. For information on OVW programs,
visit http://www.ovw.usdoj.gov/ovwgrantprograms.htm.
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White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Department of Labor (DOL)
How it can assist AAPIs
DOL promotes the welfare of wage earners, job seekers, and retirees in the U.S. by improving working con-
ditions, advancing employment opportunities and assuring work-related benefits and rights. DOL adminis-
ters and enforces more than 180 federal laws, which along with the regulations that implement them, cover
workplace activities for 10 million employers and 125 million workers. DOL also administers a number of
workforce-related programs, services, and grants, some of which are listed below.
The following offices enforce laws and regulations that protect workers in areas of wages paid, hours worked, health and safety, and discrimination. Federal laws also protect specific classes of workers, including children, nonimmigrant foreign workers, farm workers, veterans, and employees of federal contractors.
n The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) is a worker protection agency that enforces federal minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and child labor requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
WHD also enforces the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Migrant and Seasonal Agricultural
Worker Protection Act. The agency is engaged in a number of outreach efforts targeting AAPI com-
munities, such as the Know-Your-Rights Regional Outreach Initiative. Among the programs in this
initiative are: Compliance Outreach to the Asian Community and Hispanics (COACH), Rapid Em-
ployee Assistance in Chinese Hotline (REACH), Protecting Immigrant Employee with Compliance
and Education (PIECE), and The Information Group for Asian American Rights (TIGAAR). Finally,
WHD’s “We Can Help” campaign focuses on educating vulnerable, low-wage workers about their rights. The campaign includes materials in Chinese,