For More Information, Please Contact:
President Carlisle, Bureau Chief, Union County Bureau of Housing
Phone: 908-527-4057
Email: pcarlisle@ucnj.org

Union County will utilize multiple avenues to outreach to the public to communicate the right to fair housing choice and how to identify and report potential discrimination.  Efforts will include the following:

Material Distribution: Union County will distribute fair housing marketing materials aimed at educating residents of their right to fair housing, how to identify discrimination, and how to report it. The purpose of distributing material is to reach people who experience discrimination but do not report it.  Union County will research strategies for increasing awareness and collaboration opportunities with other agencies, institutions of higher education, churches, schools and fair housing advocates.

Fair Housing Website: Union County will maintain a page dedicated to fair housing on its website.  The webpage will be an information clearinghouse for residents and housing professionals working in Union County, and government employees.  The website will be updated periodically with issues related to fair housing.

Media Advertising and Press Releases: Union County will use display ads in local newspapers to advertise local fair housing resources, including its web page.  Union County will issue periodic press releases to highlight current fair housing issues, publication of reports, conferences and other newsworthy events.

Coordination with Nonprofits and Other Government Agencies: Union County will work closely with fair housing agencies, nonprofit housing professionals, and other local government agencies to ensure fair housing efforts are coordinated among agencies. Union County will serve as an information resource to other local government departments and organizations for fair housing related issues.

Fair Housing Conference: Union County will sponsor an annual fair housing conference to highlight local fair housing issues, and to raise awareness of fair housing choice.  The conference will serve as an educational forum for the public and local housing professionals.  The conference will be held in April to coincide with the national celebration of Fair Housing Month.

Referral and Enforcement: Union County will continue to partner with local fair housing agencies to respond to and investigate fair housing complaints.  Fair housing agencies will be encouraged to apply for CDBG public service dollars for funding of testing and enforcement efforts.  Potential projects include in-depth audit testing of housing practices within rental and sales markets focused on identifying patterns and practices, such as neighborhood steering, or other forms of housing choice denials that could be potential violations of fair housing laws.

Compliance: The Urban League of Union County is the official county agency and President Carlisle has been assigned  to serve as the point person for fair housing activities and information.

Subrecipient Monitoring Compliance and Capacity Building: Union County will continually monitor subrecipient organizations and contractors for compliance with federal rules and regulations. Before participating in federally funded programs, the subrecipient must agree to the following:

• Comply with federal, state and local laws relating to fair housing and equal opportunity
• Operate their facilities and services and conduct their outreach on a nondiscriminatory basis
• Adopt policies to ensure effective communication with applicants, beneficiaries, and members of the public who have hearing, vision, or speech impairments regarding the availability of accessible services, activities, and facilities