Description

Trying to buy, maintain, keep and/or sell a home can be daunting. It is difficult for borrowers to know what programs and provisions are available to assist them throughout the lifecycle of homeownership. Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans enable millions of families and individuals obtain the dream of homeownership. While FHA loans are funded through FHA Approved lenders, the FHA sets the policy for FHA loans. Therefore, people contact the FHA Resource Center, as an authoritative source, to understand what is available to them. Additionally, the FHA Resource Center assists the National Servicing Center that is tasked to work with homeowners and their lenders to avoid foreclosure. The FHA Resource Center provides answers and responses to customers looking to buy a home, qualify for a loan, and receive down payment assistance, in addition to providing information about various other HUD programs and services. The FHA Resource Center is a omni-channel contact center with the ability to receive email inquiries from our customers by utilizing three different email accounts.

Why this service was designated

The FHA Resource Center is the most mature and largest contact center at HUD. Customers contact the FHA Resource Center about various FHA Mortgage programs and loan servicing matters along with other services including discrimination, rental assistance, public housing, and homelessness. Additionally, the FHA Resource Center assists the National Servicing Center tasked with working with homeowners and their lenders to avoid foreclosure. Because of the many occasions and topics that lead customers to the resource center, it is not limited to one service but rather many different services customers can receive, helping about one million people a year. Focusing on the service provided by the FHA Resource Center will help the 8.5 million people who have FHA loans, the millions of people who need these mortgages to purchase a home, the hundreds of thousands of people facing foreclosure, and the several others who need other services get the answers they need about FHA loans, get help through the loss mitigation process, and find answers to their other HUD related questions.

Description

The complaint process is a service that allows the public to connect directly with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to seek relief for alleged discrimination in housing. HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) administers the complaint process. The Fair Housing Act allows for a free complaint process, which reduces barriers to these HUD services and eliminates the financial burden of hiring a lawyer. A customer engages in the complaint process when they believe they have experienced discrimination in renting or buying a home, obtaining a mortgage, seeking housing assistance, or engaging in other real estate transactions based on one or more of the seven protected classes (race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, and familial status), or other protections. FHEO will provide an intake analyst to assist customers in filing a complaint and understanding jurisdiction. Complaints can be received via email, phone, or mail. After a complaint is filed and determined to be jurisdictional, the customer receives investigative services from FHEO. FHEO will attempt to resolve the complaint through a conciliation process or take legal action to enforce the law. Additional civil rights statutes may also relate to a complaint. These statutes may also protect other populations not listed in the above protected classes.

Why this service was designated

FHEO’s discrimination complaint processing service has a critical, potentially life-altering impact on those impacted by discrimination. Many individuals who experience housing discrimination are unaware of their rights. For example, requesting a reasonable accommodation and being denied, or being required to live in segregated housing because of your race or because you have children. Because complainants often are in vulnerable positions, they may be facing a variety of challenges that could prevent them from coming forward or accessing information they need to report their case. They may also enter this process in a state of trauma and with limited resources because of the unstable living conditions they are experiencing. It is critical that individuals subjected to housing discrimination can progress through and complete the FHEO complaint process, as these complaints trigger investigations and resolutions that enforce the Fair Housing Act and HUD’s other civil rights authorities.

FHEO has conducted research to better understand the complainant’s journey in filing a discrimination complaint and better identify specific pain points. Due to the impact the complaint process has on victims of discrimination, FHEO aims to better support those involved with processing discrimination complaints on the challenges they may face entering and navigating the complaint process.