City to Begin Fair Housing Services Program

The City of Fort Wayne will create a fair housing services program designed to educate residents and housing program partners. The program is expected to make the home buying and renting process more practical and customer friendly. A request for proposals has been issued by the City. The program is scheduled to begin in early May.

The program will result in an anti-predatory lending campaign to promote collaboration between housing counseling partners, lenders, realtors, builders, and other housing-related entities.

In addition, tests will be conducted to ensure that local Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG) and Home Investment Partnership Program (HOME) funds are in compliance with fair housing requirements as required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The new program compliments current City initiatives to improve homeownership opportunities. An example is the Homebuyer Education and Down Payment Assistance program, which is aimed at attracting nearly 200 new homeowners to the City over the next three years.