Fair Housing Center of West Michigan: Program Overview
Neighborhood Investment Initiative
INTRODUCTION
The Fair Housing Center of West Michigan is a private, non-profit 501(c)3 organization established in
1980 to ensure equal housing opportunity as guaranteed under federal, state and local fair housing laws.
The mission of the Center is to prevent and eliminate illegal housing discrimination and to ensure equal
housing opportunity, and that objective is achieved through education, outreach, research, advocacy and
enforcement. The Center’s programs are directed at enforcement and education based on Title VIII of
the 1968 Civil Rights Act (Amended 1988), commonly referred to as the Fair Housing Act; Article 5 of
the Elliott Larsen Civil Rights Act and local fair housing ordinances.
The Center’s advocacy and enforcement efforts include the filing and resolution of formal complaints of
housing discrimination with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in order to
address, remove and remediate barriers to fair housing choice. To that end, the Center took part in an
investigation and administrative HUD complaint against Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. led by the National
Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA). This housing discrimination complaint, originally filed in April 2012,
alleged that Wells Fargo’s real estate owned (REO) properties in white areas were much better
maintained and marketed by Wells Fargo than REO properties in African-American and Latino
neighborhoods throughout 19 U.S. cities, including the City of Grand Rapids.
On June 6, 2013, NFHA and 13 of its member organizations, including the Fair Housing Center of West
Michigan, announced the settlement of the complaint against Well Fargo. The settlement includes a
collaborative commitment by Wells Fargo to provide funds in 19 cities to foster homeownership, assist
with rebuilding neighborhoods of color impacted by the foreclosure crisis, and promote diverse,
inclusive communities. Wells Fargo will provide a total of $27 million to NFHA and the fair housing
organizations to promote home ownership, neighborhood stabilization, property rehabilitation, and
development in communities of color, with an equal share allocated for investment in each of the 19
cities. Therefore, the Fair Housing Center of West Michigan will receive $1.42 million to provide for
investment into blocks or neighborhoods within the City of Grand Rapids that are predominantly
occupied by African-American and Latino residents.
PROPOSED TARGET AREA
With this initiative, the Fair Housing Center of
West Michigan plans to target the neighborhood
extending from Division Ave. S. on the west, to
Paris Ave. SE/College Ave. SE on the east, and
from Hall St. SE on the north, to Griggs St. SE on
the south. This is a 45 block neighborhood on the
southeast side of the City of Grand Rapids that was
disproportionately impacted by the foreclosure
crisis as well as unfair housing practices. Further,
the Fair Housing Center has a history of investing
in this neighborhood, most notably with the
location of its primary office at 20 Hall Street SE,
Grand Rapids, MI 49507 within this target area.
Fair Housing Center of West Michigan: Program Overview
Neighborhood Investment Initiative
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The Fair Housing Center of West Michigan seeks to invest in ways that will enhance housing choice and
opportunity within the identified target area, specifically in the areas of neighborhood stabilization and
revitalization, property rehabilitation, walkability and sustainability. The Center intends to maximize
investment and impact by understanding and leveraging existing resources and opportunities within the
target area, collaborating with local, service-oriented partners who have working knowledge of the
target area, and enhancing existing local programs and initiatives to increase neighborhood opportunity.
The Center recognizes the important and inherent relationship that housing has to parks, health care,
employment, education, business, transportation, environment and other valuable community
components necessary to provide a framework for sustainability and opportunity. With housing at the
core, the Center seeks to invest in efforts that will strengthen and enhance the underlying framework of
opportunities within the target area. Such efforts might include: housing demolition, rehabilitation,
improvement and/or development; homeownership initiatives; green space/green neighborhood
initiatives; educational initiatives; among others.
INITIAL PROGRAM COMPONENTS
 Identify target area and compile community profile data including identifying existing and
potential assets, resources, services, programs, gaps, needs and opportunities
 Identify intended outcomes and impact, with tools for measuring and reporting
 Establish program goals, outputs and activities
 Develop organizational structure for operating and delivering program, including necessary
inputs
 Establish structure, including any committees, personnel, partners, etc.
 Create program/project description(s) for desired focus
 Design RFP process and/or other funding plans
 Implement funding process
 Fund programs and activities
 Measure program success and impact