[Nfbf-l] HUD LAUNCHES FIRST FAIR HOUSING APP

[Patricia A. Lipovsky]

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HUD NEWS  

    U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Shaun Donovan, Secretary 

Office of Public Affairs, Washington, DC 20410 

HUD No. 13-031                                                                                             FOR RELEASE 

Shantae Goodloe                                                                                             Thursday 

202-708-0685                                                                                                 February 28, 2013   

HUD LAUNCHES FIRST FAIR HOUSING APP  

New app will help the public, housing industry learn about their housing rights and responsibilities 

Description: Description: Housing Discrimination Complaint Appl
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today unveiled the first housing discrimination mobile application (app) for iPhone
and iPad. Developed by HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) and HP, the app uses the latest technology to provide the public with
a quick and easy way to learn about their housing rights and to file housing discrimination complaints, and inform the housing industry about its responsibilities
under the 
Fair Housing Act.  
The app will also be an important tool to assist fair housing groups and other civil rights advocacy organizations in their efforts to help individuals
pursue their housing rights and industry to educate their members on their responsibilities. Several groups indicated their intent to promote the app with
their members and in communities where they work, including MomsRising, Illinois Department of Human Rights, Access Living, League of United Latin American
Citizens, Asian Real Estate Association of America, National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, National Association of Real Estate Brokers,
and the National Center for Lesbian Rights.  
"Having this first fair housing mobile application equips people everywhere with the information they need to combat housing discrimination," said John
Trasviña, HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. "We are maximizing the latest technology to make  

the process for filing fair housing complaints faster and easier and arming our fair housing partners with the information they need to understand their
fair housing rights and responsibilities."  
HUD's new fair housing app was unveiled during the 3rd Annual MobileGov Summit in Washington, DC, a conference which brings government and industry IT
leaders together to discuss the latest trends and best practices for creating the next generation mobile government workforce.  
"HUD needed an efficient and reliable solution to quickly extend existing capabilities to mobile computing devices," said Marilyn Crouther, senior vice
president and general manager, U.S. Public Sector, HP Enterprise Services. "The new HP application achieves operational goals of HUD - from concept to
deployment - while more effectively addressing discrimination complaints. The mobile app simplifies and increases access to government services for people."
 
In addition to facilitating real-time delivery of housing discrimination complaints to HUD, the app can be used by individuals researching their housing
rights after a natural disaster, when power outages make the iPhone/iPad one of the few ways to access the Internet.  
The app also provides information about the fair housing complaint process, and allows the public to access HUD's toll-free discrimination hotline and
link to 
HUD's fair housing website.  
In conjunction with the fair housing mobile application, FHEO has released HTML 5 adaptive mobile pages, which are in English and Spanish and allow web
content to display properly regardless of the brand of smartphone or tablet being used.  In addition, the adaptive mobile pages allow individuals to complete
and submit the fair housing complaint form in Spanish. FHEO also plans to design a "Quick Response code" ad campaign, directing mobile users to the new
adaptive pages.
 
###  

HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market
to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of
life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its
programs is available on the Internet at 
www.hud.gov
 and 
http://espanol.hud.gov
. You can also follow HUD on twitter 
@HUDnews
, on facebook at  
www.facebook.com/HUD
, or sign up for news alerts on 
HUD's News Listserv.  

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The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; 
they just make the best of everything they have.