The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a new partnership with North Carolina Central University (NCCU), a public historically Black university (HBCU), to address housing bias and discrimination, and strengthen the workforce pipeline for the next generation of fair housing policy and litigation leaders.
In partnership with the NCCU School of Law’s Social Justice and Racial Equity Institute, HUD will advance its commitment to collaborating with civil rights and equity-focused organizations, nonprofits, and advocacy groups to amplify efforts to combat housing discrimination and promote fair housing rights. The partnership with NCCU supports the Biden-Harris Administration’s goals to promote equity and fairness across America’s housing market and expand career development opportunities for good-paying jobs within the fair housing workforce.
“One of our most important objectives at HUD is to lift up communities that have historically been left behind by enforcing the Fair Housing Act,” said HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman. “This first of its kind partnership with North Carolina Central University’s School of Law and HUD’s National Fair Housing Training Academy will provide the next generation of fair housing practitioners with the tools to combat housing discrimination in North Carolina and across the nation.”
Through this partnership, NCCU law students will join active fair housing practitioners and attorneys from across the nation to participate in fair housing litigation courses offered through HUD’s National Fair Housing Training Academy (NFHTA). HUD and NFHTA will collaborate to develop and offer a course for 15 students a year on fair housing litigating that will be taught by NCCU and NFHTA faculty beginning in spring 2025. The course will increase students’ exposure to real-world enforcement of fair housing cases. NCCU and NFHTA will also align NCCU students with internship and career opportunities within HUD-funded fair housing partner agencies to grow and sustain fair housing efforts across the country.
“In the corridors of academia, where minds are molded and perspectives shaped, HUD recognizes the pivotal role that Historically Black Colleges and Universities play in fostering social justice consciousness,” said Diane M. Shelley, HUD’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. “This initiative unfolds against the backdrop of a historic campus, where students navigate the complexities of higher education while grappling with broader societal issues, including housing inequities and the discrimination experienced by members of the Hayti community.”
NCCU launched the new partnership with HUD during a convening at its School of Law that explored the history and modern-day impact of racial discrimination, segregation, and urban renewal in Durham, North Carolina. Acting Secretary Todman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Shelley and NCCU School of Law Dean Patricia Timmons-Goodson were joined by a panel distinguished presenters before the event concluded with the signing of an official proclamation memorializing the partnership.
“NCCU School of Law is pleased to be the first institution to participate in this form of collaboration with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,” said Patricia Timmons-Goodson, NCCU School of Law Dean and former Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. “We are hugely optimistic that great benefits will accrue to our law students and the broader community.”
