NCCU School of Law partners with HUD to grow next generation of Fair Housing leaders and increase access to Fair Housing in North Carolina

Partnership will increase university's capacity to deliver Fair Housing courses while connecting NCCU School of Law students to Fair Housing organizations, nationally and locally

The North Carolina Central University (NCCU) School of Law and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), through its Policy and Legislative Initiatives Office (PLIO) and the National Fair Housing Training Academy (NFHTA) ,will unveil a partnership aimed at addressing bias and discrimination in the housing market while positioning students currently enrolled at the NCCU School of Law to become leaders in Fair Housing policy and litigation for years to come.

This historic collaboration, set to launch at the NCCU School of Law, during the 2024 Ultimate Homecoming Experience week, will increase education, outreach, and efforts to combat housing discrimination and promote fair housing rights in North Carolina and beyond. The launch event, Bringing Homes to Homecoming, will include a panel discussion detailing the history of racial discrimination, particularly housing segregation, that has resulted in an urban landscape in Durham where concentrations of Blacks and whites still largely live separately and disparately with specific focus on the historic Hayti community of Durham.

"The NCCU School of Law is pleased to be the first institution to participate in this form of collaboration with the Department of Housing and Urban Development. We are hugely optimistic that great benefits will accrue to our law students and the broader community," said NCCU School of Law Dean Patricia Timmons-Goodson.

"In the corridors of academia, where minds are molded and perspectives shaped, HUD and FHEO recognize the pivotal role HBCUs play in fostering social justice consciousness," said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, HUD Diane Shelley. "This initiative," she added "unfolds against the backdrop of a bustling campus, where students navigate the complexities of higher education while grappling with broader societal issues, including housing inequities and discrimination."

The partnership will officially launch on Oct. 24 on the historic campus of NCCU - the nation's first public liberal arts institution for African American students, through the leadership of HUD's Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) division and the NCCU Law Civil Litigation Clinic's Social Justice and Racial Equity Institute.

Through the partnership, NCCU students will join current fair housing practitioners from across the nation by participating in fair housing courses offered through HUD's National Fair Housing Training Academy (NFHTA) to grow an understanding of fair housing careers (and how to support current and prospective organizations).

As part of NCCU's fair housing clinic, HUD, and NFHTA will collaborate to develop and offer a Litigating Fair Housing Cases course taught by NCCU and NFHTA faculty beginning in Spring 2025 to increase students' exposure to real-world enforcement of fair housing cases. NCCU and NFHTA will align NCCU students with internship and career opportunities within HUD-funded fair housing partner agencies to grow and sustain the movement.

This collaboration marks an extension of HUD's efforts to collaborate with civil rights and equity-focused organizations, nonprofits and advocacy groups to amplify efforts in combating housing discrimination and promoting fair housing rights.

People who believe they are the victims of housing discrimination should contact HUD at (800) 669-9777 (voice) 800-927-9275 (TTY) or the Department of Justice at (800) 896-7743 or (202) 514-4713. Additional information is available at www.hud.gov/fairhousing and www.justice.gov. Materials and assistance are available for persons with limited English proficiency. Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may contact the Department using the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.