In May 2002 P&A completed work on a two year Fair Housing Enforcement Grant. Under the scope of the grant P&A took cases on accessibility and discrimination and provided information and referral. It also provided trainings around the state to groups of consumers and providers on accessibility and discrimination, developed materials for distribution, produced a statewide workshop on visitability and self-certification and implemented a tester program.

The agency created a list of multi-family dwellings that were built after March 1991. Testers were recruited and trained to do site reviews and test the accessibility of those facilities, which were supposed to be built according to specific accessibility codes. If deficiencies were found at the sites, complaints were filed with HUD. HUD investigators were sent to the sites to verify the P&A tester’s findings.

P&A also worked on several complaint-based cases involving discrimination.

The Fair Housing Self-Certification Workshop was held on February 26, 2002 at the Cesar Chavez Community Center in Albuquerque. Participants included architects, property managers, consumers, advocates, a design engineer, a property owner and representatives of 2 Housing Authorities, the USDA Rural Development Department and the Governor’s Committee on Concerns of the Handicapped.

The content of the workshop included a lecture on self-certification for accessibility by a local architect/professor, Rebecca Ingram, and a discussion about partnership agreements led by Ms. Ingram and P&A attorney, Sandra Gomez. A packet of information was disseminated including the HUD booklet, "The New Fair Multi-Family Housing", a community resource book from the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, and three hand-outs from Ms. Ingram entitled; "Survey Tools and Techniques", "Comparison of Requirements for Residential Occupancies", and "Fair Housing Resources".

P&A is now involved in a new Fair Housing Education and Outreach grant. Under this grant P&A will be presenting trainings on fair housing accessibility and discrimination in four rural areas. Trainings were provided in Taos on October 18, 2002, and in Silver City on October 25, 2002. Roswell and Farmington trainings will be done in the Spring of 2003. Speakers from each area discuss local housing issues at these workshops.

Anybody interested in more information about the trainings can call (505) 256-3100 or 1-800-432-4682.